Patent exploitation: PTB well positioned in Europe

30.12.2014

One of PTB’s legal tasks is the transfer of knowledge and technology. Some of the key data along the value chain of a technology’s exploitation are invention reports, patent applications and the patents and licences granted. Patent applications filed by PTB result, with a probability of 90 %, in a patent being granted. The licencing grade is 29 % (when we consider all the patents that have been filed so far). When we consider the applications which are currently active, the number even lies around 48 %. These activities are often part of industry-oriented projects. These typically lead to a pre-competitive prototype which is then, at a later stage, further developed by one of PTB’s licence holders who turn it into an innovative product. As shown in the graphic, 62 % of the licence holders are SMEs.

Licence agreements, split into licence holders and patents of PTB. “Other IP” refers to the design of electronic circuits and the dissemination of software.

With 13 inventions, 11 patent applications and 5 licence agreements (per year and per 1000 employees), PTB’s performance lies in the average range for European research institutions – and this despite the fact that only 60 % of PTB’s resources are spent on research and development (whereas the other 40 % go to PTB’s other legal tasks). Only very few patents attain high revenues. At PTB, the licencing income from patent exploitation serves to fund the patent costs and the inventor’s bonus and it contributes, in addition, to the staff budget.

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