WFS: Saxony’s universities register almost three times as many patents as the national average

Universities in the eastern German states register 3.9 patents per 1,000 students. This is more than twice as many as in western Germany, where only 1.8 patents are registered per 1,000 students, according to a new IW study. Saxony’s universities are particularly innovative with 5.4 patents per 1,000 students, followed by Thuringia’s universities with 4.7. The fewest patents come from universities in Berlin and North Rhine-Westphalia, which only have just over one patent per 1,000 students. The national average is two.

In the space of five years, German universities have registered almost 5,000 patents. Around 300 of these are attributable to the Technical University of Dresden, followed by the Technical University of Munich with just under 230 and RWTH Aachen University with 220 applications.

In terms of the number of patents applied for per 1,000 students, the TU Bergakademie Freiberg is the German leader with around 24 patent applications per 1,000 students.

Almost one in three university patents are created in cooperation with partners – compared to only around one in twenty for other patent applicants in Germany. Large German corporations are particularly frequently involved, accounting for more than a third of all university collaborations. “Those who apply for a patent today often launch a new product on the market tomorrow. Universities are therefore important think tanks for companies,” says IW expert Oliver Koppel.

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Further links

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Photos: Sven Ellger TUD