University profile · TU Dortmund · 2019–2024
Measurement is TU Dortmund's largest field, and 53% of its patent families take the PCT route.
64 patent families from 123 applications: a small, technologically broad portfolio that invests selectively in international coverage.
- Data
- EPO PATSTAT Global, Spring 2026 (patstat_2026a)
- Unit
- DOCDB family
- Scope
- Applicant name: 26 spellings in 37 person records
- Queries
- Query 0 to Query 11, all published
Instruments 22 · Electrical engineering 22 · Chemistry 22 · Mechanical engineering 15 · Other fields 3 families, 2019–2024
- 64
patent families from 123 applications, between 8 and 15 new families a year.
Trend - 53%
of the families (34 of 64) contain a PCT application.
Where - 38%
of the families (24) never leave a single office.
Where - 18
families in measurement, more than twice the next largest field.
Technology - 16%
of the families (10 of 64) carry a second applicant, shared among twelve partners.
Partners
01 · Trend
Filing volume is flat: between 17 and 23 applications in every year
TU Dortmund is applicant on 123 applications in 64 DOCDB families, 1.92 applications per family. 14 families (22%) already contain a granted member, a figure that will rise as recent filings complete examination.
2019
15 new families, the highest year. That is partly the window boundary: a family whose first priority predates 2019 counts in 2019 if any member was filed that year.
2020–2024
From 2020 on, new families move between 8 and 11 a year. On numbers this small a compound growth rate would be arithmetic, not evidence, so none is stated.
2023–2024, provisional
Applications publish about 18 months after filing and reach PATSTAT later still, so both years will fill up. Grant counts are a snapshot: recent filings have not finished examination.
Applications filed and new patent families by year
Data table: annual filing activity 2019–2024
| Year | New patent families | Applications filed | Of which granted |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 15 | 20 | 5 |
| 2020 | 9 | 22 | 3 |
| 2021 | 10 | 17 | 1 |
| 2022 | 8 | 23 | 4 |
| 2023* | 11 | 21 | 2 |
| 2024* | 11 | 20 | 3 |
| Total | 64 | 123 | 18 |
Query 3A family counts once, in its earliest year in the window · hatched: provisional
02 · Technology
Measurement stands out with 18 of 64 families, more than twice the next field
Telecommunications follows with 8, organic fine chemistry and machine tools with 6 each. Representative filings range from photoacoustic gas sensors and passive radio reflectors to DNA-encoded chemical libraries and the biotechnological production of cannabinoids.
Patent families in the twelve largest WIPO technology fields (a family can sit in several)
Data table: WIPO sectors and largest fields
| WIPO sector | Families | Largest field inside the sector | Families |
|---|---|---|---|
| Instruments | 22 | Measurement | 18 |
| Chemistry | 22 | Organic fine chemistry | 6 |
| Electrical engineering | 22 | Telecommunications | 8 |
| Mechanical engineering | 15 | Machine tools | 6 |
| Other fields | 3 | Furniture, games | 2 |
| Distinct families | 64 | Sum of sector column | 84 |
Query 6All 64 families carry at least one technology field
Beyond measurement the portfolio is even: Chemistry, Electrical engineering and Instruments each account for 22 families, Mechanical engineering for 15. The yearly split moves with single filings. Instruments peaks in 2021 and 2023, Chemistry in 2019, Electrical engineering in 2022; with 8 to 15 families a year, one filing shifts a sector's share by several percentage points. Read it as spread, not trend.
WIPO sectors by first filing year
Data table: WIPO sectors by year
| Year | Instruments | Electrical engineering | Chemistry | Mechanical engineering | Other fields |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 0 |
| 2020 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| 2021 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| 2022 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023* | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 2024* | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 |
| Total | 22 | 22 | 22 | 15 | 3 |
Query 62023 and 2024 provisional
Non-exclusive counting. A family can sit in several WIPO fields and therefore several sectors. The sector figures sum to 84 across 64 distinct families, and the field figures sum higher still. Sub-totals here must not be added up to the portfolio total.
03 · IPC
The 64 families carry 75 IPC subclasses, and only G01N reaches double digits
G01N, investigating or analysing materials, has 12 families. It sits beside G01R (measuring electric and magnetic variables, 6 families) and G01M, G01L, G01F, G01H, G01S and G01T with one each: measurement instrumentation recurs without one product area. Only 24 of the 75 subclasses reach two families; the other 51 appear exactly once.
Patent families in the ten largest IPC subclasses (a family carries several)
Data table: IPC subclasses
| IPC subclass | Title | Families |
|---|---|---|
| G01N | Investigating or analysing materials by determining their chemical or physical properties | 12 |
| G01R | Measuring electric variables; measuring magnetic variables | 6 |
| H04B | Transmission | 6 |
| C12N | Microorganisms or enzymes; compositions thereof | 5 |
| B29C | Shaping or joining of plastics | 4 |
| C07D | Heterocyclic compounds | 4 |
| G06F | Electric digital data processing | 3 |
| H01Q | Antennas, i.e. radio aerials | 3 |
| H02M | Apparatus for conversion between AC and DC | 3 |
| H04W | Wireless communication networks | 3 |
| A01N | Preservation of bodies of humans, animals or plants; biocides | 2 |
| A61K | Preparations for medical, dental or toiletry purposes | 2 |
| A61P | Specific therapeutic activity of chemical compounds | 2 |
| B01J | Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis | 2 |
| B21C | Manufacture of metal sheets, wire, rods, tubes, profiles | 2 |
| B21D | Working or processing of sheet metal or metal tubes | 2 |
| B81B | Microstructural devices or systems | 2 |
| B81C | Processes or apparatus for manufacturing microstructural devices | 2 |
| C07C | Acyclic or carbocyclic compounds | 2 |
| C09K | Materials for applications not otherwise provided for | 2 |
| C12P | Fermentation or enzyme-using processes | 2 |
| G05B | Control or regulating systems in general | 2 |
| G06Q | ICT specially adapted for administrative or commercial purposes | 2 |
| H10K | Organic electric solid-state devices | 2 |
| 51 further subclasses | one family each | 51 |
| Sum over 75 subclasses | non-exclusive | 128 |
| Distinct patent families | 64 |
Data table: most frequent IPC subgroups
| IPC subgroup | Title | Families |
|---|---|---|
| G01N21/17 | Systems in which incident light is modified in accordance with the properties of the material | 3 |
| H02M1/44 | Circuits for compensating electromagnetic interference | 3 |
| B81B7/02 | Microstructural systems containing distinct electrical or optical devices | 2 |
| B81C1/00 | Manufacture or treatment of microstructural devices | 2 |
| C09K11/06 | Luminescent materials containing organic substances | 2 |
| C12N1/16 | Yeasts; culture media therefor | 2 |
| G01N29/04 | Analysing solids (ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic) | 2 |
| G01N29/24 | Probes for acoustic investigation | 2 |
| G01N3/32 | Investigating strength by applying repeated or pulsating forces | 2 |
| H02M1/12 | Arrangements for reducing harmonics from AC input or output | 2 |
| H04B15/00 | Suppression or limitation of noise or interference | 2 |
| H10K85/00 | Organic materials used in devices covered by H10K | 2 |
Query 7Deprecated symbols kept · titles from IPC edition 20260101
Non-exclusive counting. Across the 75 subclasses the family counts sum to 128 against 64 distinct families, so subclass counts are not shares of the portfolio.
04 · Where
50 of the 64 families have a German member; 34 take the PCT route
The German office is the anchor with 49 of 123 applications. From there the portfolio splits: 34 families (53%) contain a PCT application and 29 (45%) a European one, while 24 families (38%) stay inside a single office. Counting every member of every family, the portfolio reaches 13 offices, four more (JP, MX, ES, AU) than the nine where the university is itself a named applicant. On the members at those four offices the recorded applicant is none of the 37 person records that define this portfolio; the data does not say whether that is a partner or a spelling the profile does not reach.
Applications per office, TU Dortmund as applicant
Data table: filing offices
| Office | Applications (TU Dortmund as applicant) | Families (TU Dortmund as applicant) | Families with any member at this office |
|---|---|---|---|
| DE | 49 | 48 | 50 |
| WO | 29 | 29 | 34 |
| EP | 27 | 23 | 29 |
| US | 12 | 12 | 12 |
| CN | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| JP | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| CA | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| IL | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| KR | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| TW | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| AU | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| ES | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| MX | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 123 | sum 118, distinct 64 | sum 136, distinct 64 |
Query 3Family columns are non-exclusive; the last counts members filed by anyone, any IPR type (Query 4)
Applications per office, 2019–2021 against 2022–2024
Data table: applications per office and year
| Year | DE | WO | EP | US | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 9 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 20 |
| 2020 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 22 |
| 2021 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 17 |
| 2022 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 23 |
| 2023* | 9 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 21 |
| 2024* | 11 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 20 |
| Total | 49 | 29 | 27 | 12 | 6 | 123 |
Query 32023 and 2024 provisional
Read the period comparison with care. National and regional phases of a PCT application normally start around 30 months after the priority date. Families first filed in 2022–2024 have not had time to produce their EP, US or other national members; their PCT applications are counted while the follow-on filings are not. The decline in EP and US applications in the later period is at least partly this timing effect, not a withdrawal from those markets.
05 · Partners
10 of 64 families carry a second applicant, and only Max-Planck appears twice
The ten co-filed families (16%) share twelve distinct partners. Three families carry two co-applicants each: Max-Planck-Gesellschaft with Universitat Duisburg-Essen, Northeastern University with New York University in Abu Dhabi, and GDS Prazisionszerspanungs GmbH with an individual.
The twelve co-applicants by type
Data table: co-applicants
| Co-applicant | Type | Joint families | Filing years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Forderung der Wissenschaften e.V. | Research | 2 | 2022–2024 |
| Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Forderung der angewandten Forschung e.V. | Research | 1 | 2021–2022 |
| Technische Universitat Dresden | University | 1 | 2019–2020 |
| Universitat Duisburg-Essen | University | 1 | 2023–2024 |
| Hochschule Hamm-Lippstadt | University | 1 | 2022–2023 |
| Northeastern University | University | 1 | 2024 |
| New York University in Abu Dhabi Corporation | University | 1 | 2024 |
| Bayer AG | Company | 1 | 2020 |
| TRUMPF Werkzeugmaschinen GmbH + Co. KG | Company | 1 | 2020–2021 |
| GDS Prazisionszerspanungs GmbH | Company | 1 | 2022 |
| W2 Armaturen GmbH | Company | 1 | 2024 |
| Bathe, Timo | Individual | 1 | 2020–2022 |
| Distinct families with a co-applicant | 10 | 2019–2024 |
Query 5Partner filing years are those of the applications naming the partner
Joint filings occur at a steady one to two per year across the whole period.
Jointly filed families by first filing year
Data table: jointly filed families by year
| Year | Jointly filed families | All families first filed that year |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 2 | 15 |
| 2020 | 2 | 9 |
| 2021 | 1 | 10 |
| 2022 | 2 | 8 |
| 2023* | 1 | 11 |
| 2024* | 2 | 11 |
| Total | 10 | 64 |
Query 52023 and 2024 provisional
Partner names were consolidated before counting. PATSTAT holds fifteen harmonised applicant names for these twelve partners. Technische Universitat Dresden appears under two and Timo Bathe under three; all variants sit on the same family, so each counts once. All 37 TU Dortmund person records were excluded from the partner list, which contains no TU Dortmund variant.
06 · Inventors
179 inventors are named, and the largest single count is six families
63 of the 64 families carry at least one named inventor; one family has no inventor record in this edition. Only ten inventors appear on three or more families. The portfolio is the sum of many separate inventor teams. Eight of the ten are named on an application filed in 2024; two appear only in 2019 and 2020.
The ten inventors named on three or more families
Data table: inventors on three or more families
| Inventor | Families | First filing year | Last filing year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palzer, Stefan | 6 | 2021 | 2024 |
| Böcker, Stefan | 4 | 2021 | 2024 |
| Frei, Stephan | 4 | 2019 | 2024 |
| Wietfeld, Christian | 4 | 2021 | 2024 |
| Brümmer, Andreas | 3 | 2020 | 2024 |
| Hering, Oliver | 3 | 2019 | 2020 |
| Jenau, Frank | 3 | 2019 | 2024 |
| Ortiz Perez, Alvaro | 3 | 2021 | 2024 |
| Tekkaya, A. Erman | 3 | 2019 | 2020 |
| Thommes, Markus | 3 | 2019 | 2024 |
Query 8Filing years: earliest and latest application naming the inventor, within 2019–2024
Inventor counts are a lower bound. Names were normalised (case, punctuation, spacing) before grouping, which merges "AIGNER, JENS" and "AIGNER JENS". Transpositions and typing variants stay split: one inventor appears both as "Ortiz Perez, Alvaro" and "Alvaro, Ortz Perez". Where a split remains, that inventor's family count is understated and the count of distinct inventors overstated.
07 · How we counted
How the numbers were counted
- One family, one countAll figures count DOCDB families. The annual trend puts each family in its earliest year within the window, so the years sum to 64. The twelve active name variants give 106 per-variant family counts; consolidated, 64 distinct families.
- Scope by written name26 name and country variants in 37 person records, twelve with filings in 2019–2024. PATSTAT maps the five largest spellings, 68 of the 106 variant-level counts, to han_name "TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAT MUNCHEN", so the identifier list is matched on the written name.
- Patents of invention onlyApplicant role, filing years 2019 to 2024, designs excluded, ipr_type PI. This removes one utility model filed in the window.
- Counted twice, independentlyA name-pattern route instead of the identifier list returns the same 123 applications, 64 families, 9 filing offices, 14 granted families and 18 granted applications.
Checks and limits
- Family counts are a lower boundName harmonisation in PATSTAT is imperfect; a filing under a spelling no reasonable profile catches is missing.
- Exclusions and inclusionsExcluded: Fachhochschule Dortmund (a separate university of applied sciences) and the Institut fuer Arbeitsphysiologie an der Universitaet Dortmund (a legally independent Leibniz institute). Included: the pre-2007 name Universitaet Dortmund and the record "University of Dortmund INFU"; neither contributes a family inside the window.
- 2023 and 2024 are provisionalApplications publish about 18 months after filing and reach PATSTAT later still. No growth rate in this report ends in a provisional year.
- Window boundaryFamilies whose original priority predates 2019 count in 2019 if any member was filed that year, which lifts the 2019 column.
- Grant status is a snapshot14 of 64 families contain a granted member. Applications from 2022 onward have largely not completed examination, so this is not a success rate.
- Negative testA search for the most frequent inventors outside the applicant set found only filings by unrelated organisations sharing an inventor name (Query 11). No family was added on that basis.
- External plausibilityEPO Open Patent Services returns 72 publications since January 2020 under the standardised applicant names, against 123 applications filed 2019–2024 here. The units differ; the order of magnitude agrees.
- Inventor names may be splitThe 179 distinct inventors are an upper bound; individual family counts are lower bounds.
- Multi-assignmentSectors sum to 84 and 75 IPC subclasses to 128 across 64 families; the office columns sum to 118 and 136. No pie or doughnut is used.
- EditionComputed on 15 August 2026 against EPO PATSTAT Global, Spring 2026 (patstat_2026a), titles from IPC 20260101 and CPC 202608. The portfolio is defined by applicant, so no subtree expansion or predecessor union applies; deprecated IPC symbols were kept.
The base set every later query rebuilds from the 37 person records
Query 3 · 10.7 GBqueries.sql · 13 billed queries, about 10–19 GB each · session total 1.16 EUR
Release protocol
- Agentsearch + draftPinned down the applicant identity 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.
Next step
Which university or technology should we count for you?
A report like this one starts at 1,500 € plus VAT. Or learn to build it yourself on the EPO's Technology Intelligence Platform.