China acquires German patents

A study by the German Institute for Economic Research, commissioned by the Bertelsmann Stiftung, reveals that China has acquired ownership of over 11,300 patents developed in Germany over the past two decades. This represents a significant transfer of intellectual property, with nearly one in three German inventions now foreign-owned. While the United States holds the largest share of these foreign-owned patents, China has been particularly active in acquiring technologies in the mechanical engineering sector. The study highlights an imbalance, as China strategically acquires Western technologies while keeping its own market relatively closed. Concurrently, Germany's domestic innovative strength is weakening due to insufficient investment in research and development, falling from third to sixth globally in R&D spending between 2000 and 2021, while China's R&D spending increased twentyfold.