The spirit of invention is apparently booming in Germany with domestic patent applications up some 3.4% on the previous year, after slumping during the coronavirus pandemic.
Last year, domestic companies, research institutions and individual inventors filed a total of 38,469 patent applications, the German Patent and Trade Mark Office (DPMA) announced in Munich on Tuesday.
Additionally, there were 20,187 patents received from abroad, which was slightly more than in the previous year.
"The fact that the innovation activity of German companies is picking up noticeably is an encouraging sign in economically difficult times," commented Eva Schewior, president of the Munich-based authority.
Following the start of the coronavirus restrictions at the beginning of 2020, the number of German domestic patent applications fell for several years in a row.
According to figures from the European Patent Office (EPO), which is also based in Munich, Germany also weakened in an international comparison, as the proportion of patents filed from Germany fell in relation to other countries.
The majority of applications are filed by companies, with the automotive industry continuing to play a major role at the German Patent and Trade Mark Office. According to the DPMA, the 10 companies with the most applications were all car manufacturers or automotive component suppliers.
Bosch was in first place with 4,160 patent applications, followed by Mercedes-Benz with 2,046 and BMW with 1,963.
However, these statistics do not provide the complete picture, as some large German companies - including Siemens - prefer to apply for new patents at the European Patent Office rather than at the national authority.
The most important field of technology - at least in terms of sheer numbers - was still mechanical engineering with 40% of all applications. Electrical engineering contributed around 30%.