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Seven German cities and regions among the world's strongest innovation clusters

President of the German Patent and Trademark Office (DPMA): Input from numerous regions is a particular strength of the Federal Republic of Germany – Study by the World Intellectual Property Organization: Germany ranks third most frequently in the Top 100, behind China and the U.S. – Munich once again named the third-best EU cluster – Through its innovation roadshow, the DPMA supports innovative companies across the country

Press release of 8 September 2026

Munich/Geneva. Strong across the board: Germany once again has seven regions ranked among the world’s top 100 innovation clusters. This is shown by this year’s Innovation Index from the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). Munich, Berlin, Cologne, Stuttgart, Frankfurt am Main, Heidelberg-Mannheim, and Hamburg made it onto the top list. “The fact that Germany has the most innovation clusters in the top 100—after China and the U.S.—is a remarkable achievement. It clearly demonstrates that we have highly innovative companies and outstanding research institutions in many regions of our country,” says Eva Schewior, President of the German Patent and Trademark Office (DPMA). “As the DPMA, we want to further strengthen the innovative capacity in the various regions: With our Innovation Roadshow, which will make stops at eight locations in 2026, we are bringing basic information and practical knowledge about patents, utility models, trademarks, and designs to communities across the country. In this way, we are helping small and medium-sized enterprises in particular to convert their innovations into intellectual property rights and, thereby, into economic strength.”

Act locally, make an impact globally: Munich, Berlin, Cologne, Stuttgart, Frankfurt am Main, Heidelberg-Mannheim, and Hamburg are, as in the previous year, among the top 100 in WIPO’s innovation cluster ranking. This makes Germany the economy with the third-highest number of clusters. However, China (25 clusters) and the U.S. (20 clusters) stand out clearly at the top. The United Kingdom and India each have four top-100 clusters, while Canada, Japan, and South Korea each have three.

Munich is once again the highest-ranked region in Germany (28th place; 27th last year). As in the previous year, Munich is the third-best European cluster, with only Paris and Amsterdam-Rotterdam ranking higher. In terms of innovation capacity relative to its population, Munich performs very strongly in international comparisons—ranking 15th out of 100. Berlin ranks 31st worldwide (30th last year); the federal capital’s strength in venture capital transactions is particularly evident here. Cologne ranks 47th (43rd the previous year), Stuttgart holds 54th place, and Frankfurt am Main ranks 68th (64th). Heidelberg-Mannheim scores particularly well in scientific publications and ranks 88th (87th). Hamburg ranks 93rd (91st).

Which clusters have risen to the top globally? Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou ranks number one, followed by Tokyo-Yokohama, San Jose-San Francisco, Seoul, Beijing, Shanghai-Suzhou, and New York City.

For the Global Innovation Index, WIPO assesses the innovative capacity of 133 countries. Using various criteria, it identifies regions that demonstrate exceptional innovative capacity. The 100 strongest innovation clusters worldwide from the Global Innovation Index were released in advance today, Tuesday, September 8. They are spread across 33 economies.

The Global Innovation Index’s cluster ranking has been in existence since 2017. It highlights the concentration of innovation activities based on three key indicators: international patent applications filed under WIPO’s Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), scientific publications, and venture capital deals. The latter was newly added as an indicator last year.
The complete Global Innovation Index 2026, featuring country rankings and detailed analyses of individual nations, will be published on Tuesday, September 29.

The German Patent and Trade Mark Office

Inventiveness and creativity need effective protection. The DPMA is the German centre of expertise for all intellectual property rights – for patents, utility models, trade marks and designs. As the largest national patent office in Europe and the sixth largest national patent office in the world, it represents the future of Germany as a country of inventors in a globalised economy. Its approximately 2,800 employees at three locations – Munich, Jena and Berlin – provide services to inventors and companies. They implement the Federal Government's innovation strategies and further develop national, European and international protection systems.

Bild: iStock.com/metamorworks

Last updated: 8 September 2026