University profile · TU Chemnitz · 2019–2024
TU Chemnitz files a mechanical-engineering portfolio from Germany: 60 of its 68 patent families reach the DPMA.
68 patent families from 107 applications at 8 offices. Machine tools is the largest field, a MEMS and semiconductor cluster the second, and Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft the strongest co-applicant.
- Data
- EPO PATSTAT Global, Spring 2026 (patstat-mtc.patstat_2026a)
- Unit
- DOCDB family
- Scope
- Applicant name: 10 variants of Technische Universitaet Chemnitz
- Queries
- Query 0 to Query 12, all published
DE 33 → 27 · EP 6 → 11 · WO 9 → 8 families, 2019–2021 → 2022–2024
- 68
patent families from 107 applications at 8 patent offices, 2019–2024.
Trend - 60
of the 68 families reach the German office; 61 of the 107 applications are German.
Where - 29%
of the families (20 of 68) contain a PCT member and go international.
Where - 17
families sit in machine tools, the largest of 28 technology fields.
Technology - 7
joint families with Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, the only partner above two. 18 of the 68 families are co-filed.
Partners
01 · Trend
Between 6 and 17 new families a year, with no direction over six years
107 applications cover 68 families, 1.57 applications per family: a portfolio protected selectively. 78 of the applications are national or regional patent applications, 17 are PCT applications and 12 are German utility models covering 12 families. Utility models are registered without substantive examination.
2019–2021
17 new families in 2019, 7 in 2020, 16 in 2021. Each family counts once, in the year of its earliest in-scope filing, so the six years sum to exactly 68.
2022–2023
8 families in 2022, 14 in 2023. At this scale a swing of five families is one research group filing or not filing in a given year, not a trend.
2024, incomplete
Applications appear in PATSTAT about 18 months after filing. The 2024 value, and to a lesser degree 2023, will rise in later editions. No growth or decline claim in this report rests on the last year.
Patent families and applications by first filing year
Data table: filing trend 2019–2024
| Year | Patent families | Applications | Co-filed families | Families with a granted member |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 17 | 29 | 4 | 11 |
| 2020 | 7 | 11 | 0 | 5 |
| 2021 | 16 | 17 | 4 | 12 |
| 2022 | 8 | 20 | 2 | 3 |
| 2023 | 14 | 18 | 6 | 9 |
| 2024* | 6 | 12 | 2 | 3 |
| Total | 68 | 107 | 18 | 43 |
Query 4Hatched: incomplete year · grant counts for 2022 and later are depressed by examination pendency
02 · Technology
Machine tools is the largest of 28 technology fields, with 17 families
Mechanical engineering carries the portfolio: other special machines (9), thermal processes and apparatus (9) and mechanical elements (5) follow machine tools. Beside it sit a microsystems and semiconductor cluster, semiconductors (8) and micro-structural and nano-technology (7), and a measurement strand led by measurement with 10 families.
Patent families in the twelve largest WIPO technology fields (a family can sit in several)
Data table: WIPO technology fields
| Technology field | Sector | Patent families |
|---|---|---|
| Machine tools | Mechanical engineering | 17 |
| Measurement | Instruments | 10 |
| Other special machines | Mechanical engineering | 9 |
| Thermal processes and apparatus | Mechanical engineering | 9 |
| Semiconductors | Electrical engineering | 8 |
| Micro-structural and nano-technology | Chemistry | 7 |
| Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy | Electrical engineering | 6 |
| Mechanical elements | Mechanical engineering | 5 |
| Surface technology, coating | Chemistry | 5 |
| Audio-visual technology | Electrical engineering | 4 |
| Textile and paper machines | Mechanical engineering | 4 |
| Materials, metallurgy | Chemistry | 3 |
| Medical technology | Instruments | 3 |
| Civil engineering | Other fields | 3 |
| Handling | Mechanical engineering | 3 |
| Telecommunications | Electrical engineering | 2 |
| Computer technology | Electrical engineering | 2 |
| Transport | Mechanical engineering | 2 |
| Engines, pumps, turbines | Mechanical engineering | 2 |
| Macromolecular chemistry, polymers | Chemistry | 2 |
| Other consumer goods | Other fields | 2 |
| Chemical engineering | Chemistry | 1 |
| Basic materials chemistry | Chemistry | 1 |
| Organic fine chemistry | Chemistry | 1 |
| Control | Instruments | 1 |
| Optics | Instruments | 1 |
| Digital communication | Electrical engineering | 1 |
| Basic communication processes | Electrical engineering | 1 |
| Sum of field values | 28 fields | 115 |
| Distinct families | 68 |
Query 6WIPO 35 technology fields, counted as distinct families per field
Non-exclusive assignment. A family can be assigned to several fields at once. The 28 field values sum to 115 against 68 distinct families, so the bars show where the portfolio is present, not a division into shares.
03 · IPC
Joining and forming lead at subclass level, with welding (B23K) on 8 families
B29C (shaping or joining of plastics) follows with 7 and B21D (sheet metal working) with 3. The microsystems pair B81B and B81C carries 6 and 5 families; the thermal strand shows in F25B (6), F28D (4) and F25C (4). Robotics appears with B25J (3), acoustics with H04R (4).
Patent families in the sixteen most frequent IPC subclasses (a family carries several)
Data table: top IPC subclasses
| IPC subclass | Title | Patent families |
|---|---|---|
| B23K | Soldering or unsoldering; welding; cladding or plating … | 8 |
| B29C | Shaping or joining of plastics … | 7 |
| F25B | Refrigeration machines, plants or systems … | 6 |
| B81B | Microstructural devices or systems … | 6 |
| B81C | Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture … | 5 |
| H01L | Deprecated 31 December 2025, no title in IPC 2026.01 | 5 |
| F25C | Producing, working or handling ice | 4 |
| F28D | Heat-exchange apparatus, not provided for in another subclass … | 4 |
| H04R | Loudspeakers, microphones, gramophone pick-ups … | 4 |
| B21D | Working or processing of sheet metal or metal tubes, rods … | 3 |
| F16B | Devices for fastening or securing constructional elements … | 3 |
| G01S | Radio direction-finding; radio navigation; determining distance … | 3 |
| H05B | Electric heating; electric light sources not otherwise provided for … | 3 |
| B25J | Manipulators; chambers provided with manipulation devices | 3 |
| B24C | Abrasive or related blasting with particulate material | 3 |
| G01N | Investigating or analysing materials by determining their … | 3 |
Query 7Subclass values sum above the 68 distinct families
Retired subclass kept in the count. H01L carries 5 families. In IPC edition 2026.01 that subclass was deprecated on 31 December 2025 and its subject matter redistributed, with 818 recorded reclassification steps out of H01L in that edition alone. The assignments remain on the documents in PATSTAT Spring 2026, so the code is reported as it stands; it has no current title (Query 8).
04 · Where
60 of the 68 families reach the German office
The pattern is German-first: 61 of the 107 applications are German. EP and WO account for 17 applications each and the United States for 7; CN, AT, TW and CA appear once or twice each.
Applications and patent families by filing office, 2019–2024
Data table: filing offices
| Office | Applications | Patent families | Granted applications |
|---|---|---|---|
| DE · DPMA | 61 | 60 | 34 |
| EP · EPO | 17 | 17 | 10 |
| WO · PCT | 17 | 17 | 3 |
| US · USPTO | 7 | 7 | 3 |
| CN | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| AT | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| TW | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| CA | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 107 | 68 distinct (per-office counts sum to 106) | 52 |
Query 5A family filed at several offices counts once at each
Between the two halves of the period DE families move from 33 to 27 while EP families move from 6 to 11. On counts this small that is a small absolute change, but it is the only office pair that moves in opposite directions.
Patent families per office, 2019–2021 against 2022–2024
Data table: families by office and period
| Office | Families 2019–2021 | Families 2022–2024 | Families, whole period |
|---|---|---|---|
| DE · DPMA | 33 | 27 | 60 |
| EP · EPO | 6 | 11 | 17 |
| WO · PCT | 9 | 8 | 17 |
| US · USPTO | 4 | 3 | 7 |
| CN | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| AT | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| TW | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| CA | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Query 52024 incomplete · grant counts from 2022 on depressed by pendency · WO is not a granting authority
Two counts of the PCT route. 17 applications were filed at WO. The PCT rate used throughout this report is a different measurement: 20 of 68 families (29%) contain at least one WO member anywhere in the DOCDB family, including WO filings not attributed to TU Chemnitz as applicant in the queried window (Query 3).
05 · Partners
Fraunhofer is the only partner with more than two joint families
18 of the 68 families (26%) carry at least one external co-applicant, spread over 21 partners once name variants are consolidated. Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft holds 7 joint families across the full period 2019–2024; five partners contribute two families each and fifteen one. Only one joint family is with another university, Brandenburgische Technische Universitaet Cottbus-Senftenberg in 2023. The network faces industry and individuals.
Co-applicants with two or more joint patent families
Data table: co-applicants
| Co-applicant | Type | Joint families | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung | Research | 7 | 2019–2024 |
| 3D-plastic Hans Kintra GmbH | Company | 2 | 2023 |
| Dohlen & Krott Werkzeugbau GmbH | Company | 2 | 2023 |
| GBZ Mannheim GmbH & Co. KG | Company | 2 | 2022 |
| Heitkamp, Harald | Individual | 2 | 2023 |
| Teichert, Heinz-Dieter / Tube Welding Tools | Individual | 2 | 2023 |
| ANDRITZ AWEBA GmbH | Company | 1 | 2024 |
| Brandenburgische Technische Universitaet Cottbus-Senftenberg | University | 1 | 2023 |
| ElringKlinger AG | Company | 1 | 2024 |
| LIGenium GmbH | Company | 1 | 2020 |
| OptoGenTech GmbH | Company | 1 | 2021 |
| richter & hess Verpackungs-Service GmbH | Company | 1 | 2021–2022 |
| Solenis Technologies, L.P. (US) | Company | 1 | 2021 |
| Eight further named individuals (Haehnle, Hamers, Kassner, Seifert, Sommer, Spange, Taubert, Uhlig) | Individual | 1 each | 2021 |
Query 9Partner counts sum above 18: a co-filed family can carry more than one partner
Two harmonisation corrections applied (Query 10). PATSTAT holds two harmonised name groups for Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft here, one a spelling variant with the words run together. Read separately they suggest 7 plus 1 joint families; measured as one entity the figure is 7 distinct families, because the variant duplicates a family already counted. Heinz-Dieter Teichert appears both as a natural person and as Tube Welding Tools; consolidated, that is 2 distinct families.
06 · Inventors
The most frequently named inventor appears on 8 of the 68 families
Thorsten Urbaneck leads; Thomas Lampke and Markus Richter follow with 5 each. No inventor reaches more than 12% of the portfolio, and beyond the first nine names every inventor in the top 25 stands at two families. That fits the field spread: several research groups filing independently.
The twelve most frequently named inventors
Data table: top inventors
| Inventor | Patent families |
|---|---|
| Urbaneck, Thorsten | 8 |
| Lampke, Thomas | 5 |
| Richter, Markus | 5 |
| Paczkowski, Gerd | 4 |
| Nendel, Wolfgang | 4 |
| Stoeckel, Chris | 3 |
| Dittrich, Markus | 3 |
| Kroll, Lothar | 3 |
| Kanoun, Olfa | 3 |
| Zhu, Hongxi | 2 |
| Sauer, Konstantin | 2 |
| Kroll, Martin | 2 |
| Kraeusel, Verena | 2 |
| Hofmann, Christian | 2 |
| Froehlich, Alexander | 2 |
| Haertel, Sebastian | 2 |
| Thomas, Ulrike | 2 |
| Naumann, Mario | 2 |
| Gelbrich, Sandra | 2 |
| Sommer, Michael | 2 |
| Zucker, Tino | 2 |
| Engelmann, Udo | 2 |
| Zopp, Camilo | 2 |
| Eichhorn, Sven | 2 |
| Melzer, Marcel | 2 |
Query 11Names upper-cased before grouping; chart shows twelve, table the top 25
07 · How we counted
How the numbers were counted
- One family, one countEvery figure counts distinct DOCDB families. In the annual chart a family sits in the earliest filing year of its in-scope applications, so the years sum to 68.
- Scope by applicant name28 Chemnitz-related applicant records were active 2019–2024; 10 name variants were kept. One rule selects them in every query and also excludes them from the partner list, so TU Chemnitz cannot be its own partner.
- Partners on the same applicationCo-applicants are matched at application level. Matching on the family would pair the university with its own name variants on sibling applications.
- PCT means a WO member in the familyThe PCT rate is 20 of 68 families with any WO member, not the 17 WO applications.
Checks and limits
- Applicant onlyOnly filings with TU Chemnitz recorded as applicant count. Inventions by its staff filed solely under a company name, or assigned away before publication, are outside this portfolio.
- Affiliated institutes excluded by decisionICM, Institut Chemnitzer Maschinen- und Anlagenbau e.V. (7 families in the window, plus 1 under a variant with a lower-case L for I), and the Institut fuer Konstruktion und Verbundbauweisen e.V. are legally separate. Including ICM would add up to 8 families. Companies and partnerships that share only the city name are excluded too. No university of applied sciences in Chemnitz appears as applicant in the window.
- han_name not usable aloneThe kept variants fall into three han_name groups. No foreign institution maps into them and no TU Chemnitz record maps out, so the harmonisation is fragmented, not misdirected; person_name is used instead.
- Utility models included12 of the 107 applications, covering 12 families, are German utility models (ipr_type UM), registered without substantive examination. Any grant figure mixes examined and unexamined rights. Designs are not in the data set.
- Recent years incomplete2024 filings are incomplete because of the roughly 18-month publication delay; grant counts for filings from 2022 onward are depressed by examination pendency.
- Multi-assignmentWIPO field values sum to 115 and IPC subclass values likewise exceed 68. Neither is drawn as a pie or doughnut.
- Deprecated codes keptNo is_active filter is applied, which keeps H01L visible with 5 families. Subclass titles are joined from dpt_ipc on symbol_patstat.
- Inventor names ungroupedPATSTAT stores inventor names as raw strings. Identical spellings of different people merge; one person under two spellings splits.
- DPMA cross-checkThe DPMA register returns 72 German IP-right records for Technische Universitaet Chemnitz filed 2019–2024, against 61 German applications here: about 15% apart, within the usual tolerance for a university profile. The units differ, so this shows plausibility, not equality.
- EditionComputed on 15 August 2026 on EPO PATSTAT Global, Spring 2026 (patstat-mtc.patstat_2026a), classification editions IPC 2026.01 and CPC 2026.08.
The scope predicate every query repeats
Query 2queries.sql · 15 queries executed, 0.91 EUR · none above 21 GB scanned
Release protocol
- Agentsearch + draftBuilt the applicant scope and queried PATSTAT read-only. Every number comes from SQL.
- Checks13 rulesEvery claim must trace back to a query; chart and table must agree.
- Reviewsubject expertChecks scope, counts and wording before publication.
- Approvalsecond personA second person not involved in the report approves publication.
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