We also have a presence in Berlin and therefore took a closer look at the new patent and utility model applications filed in Berlin for the year 2023. Both companies and private individuals were considered in order to obtain a comprehensive picture of Berlin’s innovation activity.
A Look at the Intellectual Property Statistics
The data comes from the register of the German Patent and Trademark Office (DPMA) and is publicly accessible. For our analysis, we considered only new applications for German patents and utility models. It should be noted that patent applications are published only after 18 months. This means that a complete overview is already available for 2023, while the figures for 2024 are still incomplete.
Results for 2023
In 2023, a total of 506 German patent and utility model applications from 278 different companies and private individuals were filed with the DPMA in Berlin. The most active applicants were Brose Antriebstechnik GmbH & Co. KG with 42 applications, Bundesdruckerei GmbH with 31 applications, and IAV GmbH with 16 applications.
Interpreting the Figures
In its official 2023 annual report, the DPMA lists a total of 675 applications for Berlin, including 476 patents and 199 utility models. The higher number compared to our analysis can be explained by the fact that the DPMA also includes national PCT phases, which we did not consider. It is also likely that provisional applications are included—applications for which no fees were paid and which therefore were never published.
Furthermore, it should be noted that many companies file European or international (PCT) applications in parallel with their German IP rights. Nevertheless, German first filings provide a reliable indication of innovation and development activity. In practice, a national application is usually filed first, followed by international or European subsequent filings.
Additional European and International Filings
For example, Brose Antriebstechnik GmbH & Co. KG filed an additional three European or international (PCT) applications in 2023. Bundesdruckerei GmbH even filed 46 further IP rights at the European or international level, while IAV GmbH recorded three additional PCT or European applications. A large proportion of these IP rights claim priority from German applications filed in 2022— a typical approach for building international protection on a national basis.