The Technical University of Munich (TUM) is among the top 10 universities that filed the most patents with the European Patent Office (EPO) in 2025. In Germany, it ranks first in the EPO's ranking by a wide margin.
Astrid Eckert / TUM The European Patent Office, in collaboration ASTP, Europe's knowledge transfer association, and the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research (ISI), examined the situation of technology transfer offices at research institutions. Part of the study was a ranking based on the number of patent applications filed with the EPO.
Last year, TUM filed 103 patent applications with the European Patent Office. This places it 9th worldwide, 6th in Europe and 1st in Germany. It is followed in Germany by RWTH Aachen with 45 applications and Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg with 39.
Even when including the major non-university research organizations in Germany, TUM ranks third, behind the Fraunhofer Society and the Max Planck Society.
TUM filed the most patents in the fields of biotechnology (25), medical technology (11) and pharmaceuticals (9).
Strong incentives for researchers
As the Entrepreneurial University, TUM pursues a patent policy that meets the highest international standards. Inventors not only receive comprehensive guidance; professorships also benefit from strong incentives. Funding is provided, for example, and the costs for assessing patentability, conducting market analysis and handling the patent process are covered centrally. A portion of the revenue from commercialization is, in turn, allocated to the professorships.
If a patent is to be commercialized through a spin-off, TUM offers start-ups a fast-track process that makes intellectual property negotiations quick, straightforward and efficient. The goal is to conclude an IP agreement within three months.
