Bremen's Innovative Spirit May Draw Controversy
In the bustling city-state of Bremen, Germany, the automotive and aerospace industries are thriving economic and innovation sectors. However, these industries are not strongly associated with patents, a phenomenon that might be due to the nature of their innovation and industry characteristics rather than a lack of inventive activity.
Bremen hosts many companies involved in component supply and integration for major automotive and aerospace manufacturers. For instance, the Mercedes Benz plant in Bremen produces the CLE model. Often, large OEMs and suppliers collaborate, patenting innovations under the OEM umbrella or distributing IP rights in ways that diffuse patent attribution at the regional level.
The automotive and aerospace sectors often deal with complex systems integration, process optimization, and improvements in manufacturing techniques. Innovations may be embedded in proprietary processes, supply chain improvements, or trade secrets rather than novel patented inventions. Research and development in these sectors emphasize process optimization, such as the use of advanced profilometry for quality assurance in automotive manufacturing or sustainability and digitalization efforts in aerospace. Such advancements may be more incremental or oriented towards operational excellence, which typically results in fewer standalone patent applications.
Moreover, companies might centralize their patenting strategies at headquarters located outside Bremen or file patents in other regions or countries. This could explain why patents related to Bremen's industry activity may not be directly registered under Bremen-based entities.
Despite this, Bremen is among the leading regions in terms of inventions. In 2024, the German Patent and Trademark Office attributed 136 patents to the state of Bremen, an increase from 109 in the previous year. When considering inventions per 100,000 inhabitants, Bremen ranks 10th in the federal state comparison.
The city-state's progress in the field of inventions is largely due to its science clusters and private inventiveness. The Bremen Patent and Trademark Center attributes this to companies like Thermo Fisher and Bruker Daltonics, which are world leaders in mass spectrometry. Atlas Elektronik also patents inventions in the fields of navigation and ship defense systems in Bremen.
However, the practice of delaying the publication of patents could potentially create legal complications. Patents are only published by the patent office after a delay of one and a half years. This delay in publishing patents could potentially lead to legal difficulties, as the "copy shop" is informed about the actual legal relations with a delay.
Despite the lack of direct patent attribution, Bremen's automotive and aerospace industries are making strides in terms of system integration, process improvements, sustainability, and advanced manufacturing. These innovations, while not always patentable, are crucial to the continued success of these sectors in Bremen.
Science and finance intertwine in Bremen as companies like Thermo Fisher and Bruker Daltonics, world leaders in mass spectrometry, contribute to the city-state's science clusters and private inventiveness. Meanwhile, technology and industry align as Bremen's automotive and aerospace sectors, despite lacking direct patent attribution, spearhead advancements in system integration, process improvements, sustainability, and advanced manufacturing.
