Germany Makes Gains in Digital Patent Registrations

Germany has shown a modest improvement in its digital technology patent registrations, narrowing the gap behind leading countries such as the United States and China. According to the German Patent and Trademark Office (DPMA), the number of domestic patent applications in key digital technologies rose by 6.6% last year, reaching a total of 4,494.

While this increase is encouraging, it is set against a backdrop of significant declines in patent filings from both the U.S. and China, which saw decreases of 5.3% and 11.4%, respectively. Despite these trends, Germany still ranks fifth overall in digital technology patent registrations. The U.S. remains the frontrunner with a total of 14,973 new patent applications, followed by China with 8,900, and both Japan and South Korea surpassing Germany with over 5,000 applications each.

The statistics reflect applications filed at both the DPMA and the European Patent Office, which is also located in Munich. Prominent players in the patent landscape include Samsung from South Korea and the Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei.

Eva Schewior, the President of the DPMA, acknowledged the decline in Germany's position in digital key technologies compared to other innovative countries over recent years. She emphasized the need for the positive trend in patent filings to signal the start of a significant recovery effort.

The analysis conducted by the DPMA focused on five technological domains: audiovisual technology, digital communications (including mobile communications), computer technology, business-related data processing, and semiconductor technology.

However, over a five-year period, the share of German companies in published digital technology patent applications has decreased from 9.8% to 9.2%. In 2020, Germany was ranked fourth, ahead of South Korea.

It is important to note that patent registration statistics can lag, as applications are typically published 18 months after submission. Schewior is expected to present these findings at the annual DPMA user forum.