A recent analysis by the Institute of the German Economy (IW Köln) reveals a continuing decline in patent applications originating from individual inventors within Germany. The study, previewed by the Funke Media Group newspapers, indicates that 2022 saw a historically low number of patents filed by independent inventors, with just 2,160 applications received. This represents a decrease of approximately 75 percent since the turn of the millennium.
While companies, universities and other legal entities continue to dominate patent activity in Germany, the share contributed by independent inventors has steadily diminished. In the mid-1990s, individual inventors accounted for over a quarter of all patent applications; today, that figure has fallen to just under five percent.
IW patent expert Oliver Koppel notes the downward trend shows no signs of reversing, despite a brief uptick during the Covid-19 pandemic. He attributes the decline to increasing complexity in technological innovation and a growing reliance on team-based research within larger organizations. The rising standard of knowledge makes genuinely novel invention increasingly difficult.
Despite these challenges, Koppel emphasizes the value of “garage inventors” and their potential for groundbreaking ideas that traditional companies often overlook. He argues for increased support for individual inventors, noting that funding programs have even been reduced despite a strong emphasis on startup funding. While not a critical economic issue, he suggests Germany is forgoing valuable innovation impulses.
The study also highlights a growing, albeit limited, increase in female participation. The proportion of female independent inventors has risen from 6.4 percent at the turn of the millennium to 9.9 percent. However, the overall decline in independent inventions has impacted both genders. In 2000, female inventors filed 575 patent applications, compared to 214 in 2022 – though this still represents 37 percent of the 2000 level.
Geographically, the most populous states – Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia and Baden-Württemberg – account for the majority of patent applications from independent inventors. Notably, however, eastern German states, including Berlin, exhibit a higher proportion of patents originating from female inventors – approximately one in six or seven – compared to western Germany, where the figure is closer to one in eleven.
Notable examples of inventions originating from independent inventors include technologies such as frequency-hopping spread spectrum, remote control for torpedoes, coffee filters, maglev trains and dishwashers, as well as the Velcro fastener.
Finally, the IW reports that while the total number of patent applications in Germany remains stagnant due to demographic factors, growth is almost entirely attributable to applications from foreign entities seeking patent protection in Germany. Countries like China, the USA and South Korea demonstrate a markedly positive trend in patent activity, contrasting with the situation in Germany.