Content
Current Statistical Data for Patents
At a glance
|
2020 |
2021 |
Changes in % |
| Applications (patent applications with the DPMA and PCT patent applications after entering the national phase) |
62,108 |
58,568 |
-5.7 |
| Opened examination procedures |
43,337 |
43,155 |
-0.4 |
| Concluded examination procedures |
41,753 |
48,489 |
+16.1 |
| - published decisions to grant a patent |
17,305 |
21,113 |
+22.0 |
| Patents in force[1] |
132,335 |
134,715 |
+1.8 |
| [1] Including patents granted by the European Patent Office with effect in Germany, a total of 877,351 patents were valid in Germany in 2021. |
Patent applications
| Year |
Applications |
| 2017 |
67,724 |
| 2018 |
67,905 |
| 2019 |
67,429 |
| 2020 |
62,108 |
| 2021 |
58,568 |
TOP 3 Patent applicants in 2021
(applications at the DPMA and PCT applications in the national phase)
|
Applicant [1] |
Seat |
Applications |
| 1 |
Robert Bosch GmbH |
Germany |
3,966 |
| 2 |
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG |
Germany |
1,860 |
| 3 |
Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG |
Germany |
1,806 |
| [1] Without taking into account possible business group affiliations. |
Patent applications by German Länder in 2021
| German Länder |
Applications |
Percentage |
Applications per 100,000 inhabitants |
| Baden-Württemberg |
13,570 |
34.1 |
122 |
| Bavaria |
11,875 |
29.8 |
90 |
| North Rhine-Westphalia |
5,675 |
14.3 |
32 |
| Lower Saxony |
2,982 |
7.5 |
37 |
| Hesse |
1,479 |
3.7 |
24 |
| Rhineland-Palatinate |
854 |
2.1 |
21 |
| Saxony |
604 |
1.5 |
15 |
| Berlin |
525 |
1.3 |
14 |
| Thuringia |
523 |
1.3 |
25 |
| Schleswig-Holstein |
475 |
1.2 |
16 |
| Hamburg |
461 |
1.2 |
25 |
| Brandenburg |
257 |
0.6 |
10 |
| Saarland |
179 |
0.4 |
18 |
| Saxony-Anhalt |
154 |
0.4 |
7 |
| Bremen |
101 |
0.3 |
15 |
| Mecklenburg-Western Pommerania |
98 |
0.2 |
6 |
| Germany |
39,812 |
100 |
48 |
TOP 5 Fields of technology [1]
| Field of technology (area) |
Applications in 2020 |
Applications in 2021 |
Changes in % |
| 32 - Transport (mechanical engineering) |
10,781 |
10,482 |
-2.8 |
| 1 - Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy (electrical engineering) |
7,025 |
7,168 |
+2.0 |
| 10 - Measurement (instruments) |
4,581 |
4,490 |
-2.0 |
| 31 - Mechanical elements (mechanical engineering) |
4,434 |
4,080 |
-8.0 |
| 6 - Computer technology (electrical engineering) |
3,143 |
2,891 |
-8.0 |
| [1] According to the WIPO IPC-Technology Concordance Table. |
The Leading fields of technology [1] in the individual German Länder in 2021
| Land |
Field of technology |
Applications |
Changes in % to 2020 |
| Baden-Württemberg |
32 - Transport |
2,777 |
+ 2.3 |
| |
1 - Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy |
1,993 |
+ 13.4 |
| |
10 - Measurement |
1,347 |
- 5.8 |
| Bavaria |
32 - Transport |
2,421 |
- 5.1 |
| |
1 - Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy |
1,668 |
+ 3.2 |
| |
31 - Mechanical elements |
1,309 |
- 11.0 |
| Berlin |
32 - Transport |
62 |
- 21.5 |
| |
13 - Medical technology |
42 |
- 30.0 |
| |
10- Measurement |
36 |
- 28.0 |
| Brandenburg |
1 - Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy |
32 |
+ 6.7 |
| |
27 - Engines, pumps, turbines |
21 |
- 44.7 |
| |
31 - Mechanical elements |
18 |
- 21.7 |
| Bremen |
10 - Measurement |
16 |
- 15.8 |
| |
29 - Other special machines |
10 |
0.0 |
| |
32 - Transport |
10 |
- 9.1 |
| Hamburg |
32 - Transport |
85 |
- 22.0 |
| |
13 - Medical technology |
53 |
- 24.3 |
| |
25 - Handling |
45 |
23.7 |
| Hesse |
32 - Transport |
207 |
+ 22.5 |
| |
31 - Mechanical elements |
139 |
- 9.2 |
| |
13 - Medical technology |
132 |
- 12.0 |
| Lower Saxony |
32 - Transport |
855 |
- 2.5 |
| |
1 - Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy |
351 |
+11.8 |
| |
29 - Other special machines |
229 |
- 10.9 |
| Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania |
13 - Medical technology |
15 |
0.0 |
| |
25 - Handling |
9 |
+ 350.0 |
| |
33 - Furniture, games |
8 |
+ 300.0 |
| North Rhine-Westphalia |
1 - Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy |
602 |
- 8.0 |
| |
35 - Civil engineering |
534 |
- 11.6 |
| |
32 - Transport |
452 |
- 21.5 |
| Rhineland-Palatinate |
32 - Transport |
103 |
+ 37.3 |
| |
35 - Civil engineering |
83 |
+ 27.7 |
| |
29 - Other special machines |
65 |
+ 32.7 |
| Saarland |
24 - Environmental technology |
28 |
+ 133.3 |
| |
31 - Mechanical elements |
22 |
83.3 |
| |
23 - Chemical engineering |
16 |
+ 60.0 |
| Saxony |
1 - Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy |
69 |
0.0 |
| |
10 - Measurement |
62 |
+ 100.0 |
| |
35 - Civil engineering |
38 |
+ 26.7 |
| Saxony-Anhalt |
1 - Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy |
19 |
+ 375.0 |
| |
35 - Civil engineering |
16 |
+ 100.0 |
| |
23 - Chemical engineering |
15 |
+ 400.0 |
| Schleswig-Holstein |
13 - Medical technology |
49 |
- 25.8 |
| |
27 - Engines, pumps, turbines |
40 |
+ 233.3 |
| |
10 - Measurement |
35 |
- 5.4 |
| Thuringia |
13 - Medical technology |
80 |
- 24.5 |
| |
9 - Optics |
76 |
- 12.6 |
| |
10 - Measurement |
55 |
+ 3.8 |
| [1] According to the WIPO IPC-Technology Concordance Table. |
Last updated: 8 March 2022
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