Battery technology is booming: number of patent applications on the rise again

As a result of the coronavirus pandemic at the beginning of 2020, the number of patent applications fell for several years in a row, but the trend has now reversed: the German Patent and Trade Mark Office (DPMA) recorded a significant increase in patent applications last year. A total of 58,656 new applications were received - 2.5 percent more than in the previous year. 38,469 of the applications came from German companies, which corresponds to an increase of 3.4 percent. 20,187 of the applications were made by companies from abroad, which is also slightly above the previous year's average. The number of examination requests for patents also increased in 2023 - the DPMA reported 43,808 effective applications.

Strong growth in battery technology

According to the DPMA, mechanical engineering is and remains the sector with the most applications at 40 percent, but electrical engineering has also caught up strongly: A total of 30.1 percent of all patent applications can be attributed to this sector- an increase of 6.5 percent. The field of electrical machinery and equipment, electrical energy was a major driver of new applications with a 9.9% increase. This also includes the field of battery technology, where manufacturers and suppliers from the automotive industry in particular filed patent applications. In addition to the common IPC class (a patent classification) for vehicle construction, the specific subclass H01M for battery technology in particular recorded a large number of applications.

Car manufacturers drive up the number of patent applications

While electromobility is gaining ground, patent applications for combustion engines are declining: the technology field of engines, pumps and turbines, for example, recorded a 4.6% drop in applications in 2023 compared to the previous year. The turnaround is therefore also reflected in the development of applications. While a total of 1,889 battery-related inventions were registered ten years ago, the figure last year was already 4,651, almost two and a half times as high.

The trend towards battery patents can also be seen in the innovation statistics of the European Patent Office (EPO), where applications for battery technology have increased by 48 percent. However, not all of the patent applications come from Germany - the list of battery patents with an impact on Germany is headed by South Korea, followed by Japan and only in third place is Germany. China and the USA follow in fourth and fifth place.

If we take a look at the strongest companies in terms of battery patent applications, two German companies - BMW and Volkswagen - are in third and fourth place. The Chinese battery manufacturer CATL is in second place behind leader LG, followed by Panasonic in fifth place. Other companies from the automotive industry are also among the top 50, including Bosch (11th place), Valeo (31st place) and Toyota (49th place).

Sources: elektroniknet.de, Irina Hübner, 05.03.2024
ecomento.de, 06.03.2024
dpma.de, 27.03.2023
Image: Scott Graham via Unsplash