Content
Current Statistical Data for Patents
At a glance
|
2021 |
2022 |
Changes in % |
| Applications (patent applications with the DPMA and PCT patent applications after entering the national phase) |
58,573 |
57,214 |
- 2.3 |
| Opened examination procedures |
43,346 |
43,126 |
- 0.5 |
| Concluded examination procedures |
48,504 |
45,498 |
- 6.2 |
| - published decisions to grant a patent |
21,113 |
23,592 |
+ 11.7 |
| Patents in force[1] |
134,727 |
142,659 |
+ 5.9 |
| [1] Including patents granted by the European Patent Office with effect in Germany, a total of 917,053 patents were valid in Germany in 2022. |
Patent applications
| Year |
Applications |
| 2018 |
67,905 |
| 2019 |
67,429 |
| 2020 |
62,109 |
| 2021 |
58,573 |
| 2022 |
57,214 |
TOP 10 Patent applicants in 2022
| Ranking |
Applicant [1] |
Seat |
Applications |
| 1 |
Robert Bosch GmbH |
Germany |
3,946 |
| 2 |
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG |
Germany |
1,867 |
| 3 |
ZF Friedrichshafen AG |
Germany |
1,394 |
| 4 |
Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG |
Germany |
1,266 |
| 5 |
Mercedes-Benz Group AG |
Germany |
1,228 |
| 6 |
Ford Global Technologies, LLC |
USA |
1,204 |
| 7 |
GM Global Technology Operations LLC |
USA |
1,109 |
| 8 |
VOLKSWAGEN AG |
Germany |
1,041 |
| 9 |
AUDI AG |
Germany |
749 |
| 10 |
Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG |
Germany |
701 |
| [1] Without taking into account possible business group affiliations. |
Patent applications by German Länder in 2022
| German Länder |
Applications |
Percentage |
Applications per 100,000 inhabitants |
| Baden-Württemberg |
13,444 |
36.1 |
121 |
| Bavaria |
10,548 |
28.4 |
80 |
| North Rhine-Westphalia |
5,292 |
14.2 |
30 |
| Lower Saxony |
2,792 |
7.5 |
35 |
| Hesse |
1,202 |
3.2 |
19 |
| Rhineland-Palatinate |
804 |
2.2 |
20 |
| Saxony |
592 |
1.6 |
15 |
| Berlin |
480 |
1.3 |
13 |
| Thuringia |
470 |
1.3 |
22 |
| Schleswig-Holstein |
427 |
1.1 |
15 |
| Hamburg |
375 |
1.0 |
20 |
| Brandenburg |
228 |
0.6 |
9 |
| Mecklenburg-Western Pommerania |
176 |
0.5 |
11 |
| Saarland |
137 |
0.4 |
14 |
| Saxony-Anhalt |
122 |
0.3 |
6 |
| Bremen |
105 |
0.3 |
16 |
| Germany |
37,194 |
100 |
45 |
TOP 5 Fields of technology [1]
| No. |
Field of technology (area) |
Applications in 2021 |
Applications in 2022 |
Changes in % |
| 32 |
Transport (mechanical engineering) |
10,496 |
10,329 |
- 1.6 |
| 1 |
Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy (electrical engineering) |
7,180 |
7,317 |
+ 1.9 |
| 10 |
Measurement (instruments) |
4,493 |
4,290 |
- 4.5 |
| 31 |
Mechanical elements (mechanical engineering) |
4,088 |
3,601 |
- 11.9 |
| 6 |
Computer technology (electrical engineering) |
2,905 |
3,472 |
+ 19.5 |
| [1] According to the WIPO IPC-Technology Concordance Table. |
The Leading fields of technology [1] in the individual German Länder in 2022
| Land |
Nr. |
Field of technology |
Applications |
Changes in % to 2021 |
| Baden-Württemberg |
32 |
Transport |
2,737 |
- 1.5 |
| |
1 |
Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy |
1,919 |
- 3.7 |
| |
10 |
Measurement |
1,273 |
- 5.5 |
| Bavaria |
32 |
Transport |
2,289 |
- 5.6 |
| |
1 |
Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy |
1,546 |
- 7.5 |
| |
31 |
Mechanical elements |
918 |
- 30.0 |
| Berlin |
32 |
Transport |
45 |
- 27.4 |
| |
34 |
Other consumer goods |
44 |
+ 109.5 |
| |
13 |
Medical technology |
33 |
- 21.4 |
| Brandenburg |
1 |
Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy |
52 |
+ 62.5 |
| |
27 |
Engines, pumps, turbines |
30 |
+ 42.9 |
| |
32 |
Transport |
19 |
+ 5.6 |
| Bremen |
1 |
Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy |
22 |
+ 144.4 |
| |
32 |
Transport |
20 |
+ 100.0 |
| |
10 |
Measurement |
15 |
- 6.3 |
| Hamburg |
25 |
Handling |
72 |
+ 60.0 |
| |
13 |
Medical technology |
57 |
+ 7.5 |
| |
32 |
Transport |
33 |
- 61.6 |
| Hesse |
1 |
Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy |
129 |
- 0.8 |
| |
31 |
Mechanical elements |
123 |
- 10.9 |
| |
32 |
Transport |
105 |
- 49.3 |
| Lower Saxony |
32 |
Transport |
820 |
- 4.1 |
| |
1 |
Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy |
309 |
- 12.0 |
| |
29 |
Other special machines |
252 |
+ 9.6 |
| Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania |
32 |
Transport |
31 |
+ 520.0 |
| |
13 |
Medical technology |
17 |
+ 13.3 |
| |
25 |
Handling |
14 |
+ 55.6 |
| North Rhine-Westphalia |
1 |
Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy |
661 |
+ 9.6 |
| |
35 |
Civil engineering |
485 |
- 9.3 |
| |
32 |
Transport |
424 |
- 6.2 |
| Rhineland-Palatinate |
32 |
Transport |
76 |
- 26.9 |
| |
18 |
Food chemistry |
74 |
+ 138.7 |
| |
31 |
Mechanical elements |
62 |
- 3.1 |
| Saarland |
24 |
Environmental technology |
35 |
+ 25.0 |
| |
31 |
Mechanical elements |
22 |
0.0 |
| |
23 |
Chemical engineering |
14 |
- 12.5 |
| Saxony |
1 |
Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy |
86 |
+ 24.6 |
| |
10 |
Measurement |
42 |
- 32.3 |
| |
32 |
Transport |
35 |
+ 16.7 |
| Saxony-Anhalt |
1 |
Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy |
16 |
- 15.8 |
| |
35 |
Civil engineering |
13 |
- 18.8 |
| |
27 |
Engines, pumps, turbines |
11 |
+ 22.2 |
| Schleswig-Holstein |
13 |
Medical technology |
49 |
0.0 |
| |
19 |
Basic materials chemistry |
37 |
+ 19.4 |
| |
10 |
Measurement |
36 |
+ 2.9 |
| Thuringia |
13 |
Medical technology |
88 |
+ 10.0 |
| |
10 |
Measurement |
72 |
+ 30.9 |
| |
9 |
Optics |
70 |
- 7.9 |
| [1] According to the WIPO IPC-Technology Concordance Table. |
Last updated: 8 March 2023
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