The power behind 600,000 patents in five years: A review of the landscape and inspiration of Germany’s top patent agencies

Patent application activity in Germany showed strong and stable growth between 2019 and 2023, further strengthening its position as one of the most influential IP jurisdictions in the world. In these five years, Germany received nearly 600,000 patent applications involving more than 800 agencies, of which the top 25 agencies accounted for a high proportion of applications, highlighting the dominant position of these established institutions with deep technical capabilities and strong global networks in the market.

• Firms at the forefront of German IP include Hoffmann Eitle, Grünecker PartG MBB and Boehmert & Boehmert, which together handled more than 69,000 patent applications during this period, becoming the preferred representation for both local innovators and international companies.
• Vossius & Partner and Meissner Bolte also performed well, handling more than 27,000 applications each.
• Müller-Boré & Partner, Maiwald, Viering, Jentschura & Partner, Wuesthoff & Wuesthoff and Manitz, Finsterwald & Partner make up the top ten German agencies, all of which have made significant contributions to the German patent application ecosystem.

These firms have earned a reputation for their deep technical expertise, particularly in high-value industry sectors such as electrical engineering, medical devices and chemicals. Their ability to maintain a high proportion of foreign-sourced and PCT international applications while handling a high volume of patent applications is a reflection of both operational excellence and their strategic positioning in the global IP value chain.

In Germany's patent market landscape, we can clearly see a highly concentrated and technology-intensive ecosystem: the strong will always be strong, technology is king, and the Internet comes first.

• Vertical technological advantages are core competitive barriers: almost all of the top ten law firms in Germany have been deeply involved in high-tech industries such as electrical engineering, medical equipment, and chemistry for many years.
• A large number of German leading law firms have foreign-funded enterprises or global innovation organizations as their clients, and PCT applications account for a high proportion, which is an important engine for their stable growth.
• The ability to process tens of thousands of applications each year is the result of standardized process design, software support and team collaboration.