Our patent law firm has been rooted in Velbert with its headquarters since 1959. This close connection to the city was the occasion for us to examine more closely the innovative power of the companies based here.
A look into the patent and utility model applications
The data come from the register of the German Patent and Trademark Office (DPMA) and are publicly accessible. For our analysis we evaluated the new applications of German patents and utility models.
An important note: patent applications are only published after 18 months. This means that for the year 2023 a complete overview is already available, while the figures for 2024 are not yet fully accessible.
Results for 2023
In 2023, a total of 99 German patent and utility model applications were filed with the DPMA by 17 different companies and private individuals from Velbert.
At the top stand – unsurprisingly – the large automotive suppliers:
- Huf Hülsbeck & Fürst GmbH & Co. KG with 41 applications
- WITTE Automotive GmbH with 31 applications
At a clear distance follow:
- EMKA Beschlagteile GmbH & Co. KG with 5 applications
- KFV Karl Fliether GmbH & Co. KG with 4 applications
- Schulte-Schlagbaum AG with 3 applications
In addition, there were several smaller companies and individual applicants with 1–2 protective rights each, including Doppstadt Beteiligungs GmbH, Mittelmann Sicherheitstechnik GmbH & Co. KG.
It may be that some companies have in parallel also filed a large number of European or international (PCT) applications. Nevertheless, the number of German applications already offers a good indication of the development capability of the companies. In filing practice, a German first application usually takes place first, followed by international PCT or European subsequent applications.
Thus, Huf Hülsbeck & Fürst GmbH & Co. KG, for example, additionally filed 26 European or international (PCT) applications in 2023, WITTE Automotive GmbH 10, and EMKA Beschlagteile GmbH & Co. KG 6. A large part of these protective rights claims the priority of German applications from the year 2022.