Most Prominent Applicants at DPMA Germany 2024

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1. Introduction

Patent filings are not merely legal artifacts – they are strategic declarations. Each patent filed with the German Patent and Trade Mark Office (DPMA) tells us something vital: who is investing, where innovation is flowing, and how companies are defending their market share in one of Europe’s most competitive economies.

Germany is not just a European hub for advanced manufacturing and engineering – it is also a jurisdiction with strong IP enforcement, rigorous courts, and a patent office that sees consistent filing volume from both domestic and global applicants.

For legal teams, IP professionals, and R&D leaders, monitoring DPMA filings is not an academic exercise – it’s an essential part of competitive intelligence and freedom-to-operate (FTO) strategy.

Table of Contents

2. The Importance of the DPMA in Global IP Strategy

The DPMA has long held a central position in the global IP system. While European Patent Office (EPO) filings offer a supranational path to protection, German national filings remain crucial for several reasons:

  1. Jurisdictional Leverage
    Many companies choose to validate patents in Germany because of its efficient courts, established IP jurisprudence, and high rates of injunctive relief in patent disputes. For innovators and patent litigators alike, DPMA-granted patents are tactical assets.
  2. Market-Centric Protection
    Germany continues to be Europe’s largest market for automotive, industrial equipment, consumer electronics, and med-tech. Filing with the DPMA signals intent to operate, sell, or license in this vital market.
  3. Strategic Enforcement
    German courts in Düsseldorf, Mannheim, and Munich are known for being technically competent, speedy, and favorable to patent holders – making DPMA filings a key part of global enforcement planning.

3. What Makes 2024 Worth Noting?

Three trends make the 2024 DPMA data particularly instructive:

  1. The Rise of Electrification and Platform Patents

Top applicants are increasingly moving away from isolated mechanical inventions toward platform-level patents – systems that combine electronics, control software, and modular hardware. This is especially visible in filings related to EV architectures, steering systems, and integrated charging networks.

  1. The Globalization of Patent Strategy

The inclusion of U.S. firms like GM and Ford among Germany’s top patent filers shows how strategic this jurisdiction has become even for non-European companies. These firms are securing rights in Germany not only to operate but to enforce, negotiate cross-licenses, or preempt local competitors.

  1. Suppliers Are Outpacing OEMs in Technical Breadth

Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers (e.g., Bosch, ZF, Schaeffler) are not only filing in higher volumes but are also owning more of the value chain – from drivetrain components to embedded software. For FTO analysis, this shift means startups and integrators must look beyond the OEMs when assessing infringement risk.

4. Setting the Stage: Why This List Matters

Understanding who the top filers are – and what they are filing -can help:

  • R&D teams avoid reinventing protected technology
  • Patent counsel prioritize FTO searches and claim mapping
  • Corporate strategy teams identify white space and partnership targets
  • Portfolio managers benchmark filing behavior to improve IP ROI

5. Patent Application Trends at DPMA in 2024

Applications – including direct patent applications filed with the DPMA and PCT applications entering the German national phase – reached a total of 59,260 in 2024.

This volume underscores Germany’s continued role as a critical jurisdiction for innovation protection, particularly in industrial technology, automotive engineering, and embedded systems.

Within this total, filings were most concentrated in the following five technology fields:

Key Observations

  • Transport technologies dominate, reflecting sustained R&D intensity in vehicle architecture, drivetrain design, and mobility platforms.

  • Electrical machinery and energy filings remain strong, driven by electrification trends across automotive, industrial, and renewable energy sectors.

  • Measurement instruments and mechanical elements form the critical interface between hardware reliability and control precision.

  • Computer technology continues its upward trajectory, underlining the digital convergence of mechanical systems and software-defined products.

6. Germany’s Leading Patent Applicants – 2024

The top applicants at the German Patent and Trade Mark Office (DPMA) in 2024 include a blend of long-established industrial leaders, mobility pioneers, and global technology firms. Collectively, they not only account for a substantial portion of filings, but also reflect sectoral dominance – especially in automotive, mechanical systems, and electrical engineering.

Here are the companies and institutions that filed the most patent applications at DPMA in 2024:

4496
2297
2138
1409
1299
1175
1147
1080
1058
962

 Note: Due to tied rankings and data grouping, Audi and Ford round out the top 10 without being sequentially numbered.

Sectoral Dominance: Automotive and Beyond

One striking observation: 9 of the top 10 applicants are directly connected to the automotive sector – either as original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) or as Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers.

This reflects the deeply embedded role of automotive R&D in Germany’s innovation ecosystem. But within that broad label, each filer reveals a unique strategic posture.

Automotive OEMs (BMW, Mercedes, Porsche, VW, Audi, Ford, GM)

These companies are not just building cars—they are developing full-stack mobility platforms:

  • Electric drivetrains
  • Charging infrastructure
  • Cabin software systems
  • Autonomous driving technologies
  • AI-driven control modules

Their patent filings reveal an aggressive push to own innovations in:

  • EV architecture and energy efficiency
  • Over-the-air vehicle updates
  • Human-machine interfaces
  • AI-powered driver assistance and safety systems

Each OEM is racing to carve out patentable space in the emerging mobility value chain – and Germany, with its legal strength and industrial base, remains a key battleground.

Suppliers & Component Specialists (Bosch, ZF, Schaeffler)

These firms are increasingly setting the technical direction of the industry by filing patents on:

  • Embedded hardware/software systems
  • Steering and braking modules
  • Battery control units
  • Electrified drive systems
  • Modular manufacturing and integration platforms

In some cases, suppliers like Bosch and ZF hold more IP around a subsystem than the OEMs they sell to. Their DPMA filings reflect long-term bets on system integration and platform ownership, not just component supply.

Global Filing Strategy: U.S. Presence in Germany

Companies like GM and Ford appearing in the DPMA’s top 10 is no accident. These are U.S.-headquartered multinationals that view Germany as a vital market, R&D hub, and legal jurisdiction.

Their filings at the DPMA show commitment to:

  • Operating in Europe with enforcement capabilities
  • Participating in EU R&D programs
  • Securing strategic ground in contested innovation spaces like ADAS, EV charging, and connected platforms

The message is clear: the DPMA is not just a local forum – it’s a global venue for technology protection.

What These Rankings Reveal

  1. Patent volume remains concentrated in transport and mechanical engineering, consistent with the DPMA’s 2024 tech field data.
  2. Filing behavior mirrors R&D priorities – electrification, digitalization, system-level integration.
  3. Supply chain powerhouses (Bosch, ZF, Schaeffler) are building patent portfolios that go beyond hardware – into control systems, energy recovery, and even software layers.
  4. Cross-border filers (Ford, GM) continue to embed themselves in the European IP ecosystem, reinforcing Germany’s role in global patent strategy.

7. Conclusion: What This Landscape Tells Us

The 2024 DPMA data doesn’t just highlight prolific filers – it reveals a deep shift in the nature of innovation. Across the board, we see:

  • Mechanical expertise merging with digital systems
  • Heavy investment in electrification, automation, and connectivity
  • A trend toward modular, cross-domain patents with use in multiple product lines

Whether it’s Bosch’s sensor layers, BMW’s UI stack, or ZF’s steering logic, patent portfolios are becoming more integrated, more data-centric, and more system-defining.

For companies operating in these spaces – whether established or emerging – the message is clear:
Germany remains a core theatre of innovation and protection.

And for those watching the future of technology unfold, the DPMA is not just a register –
It’s a map of what’s next.

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