INNOVATION required information even quicker. The Austrian patent offi ce is also committed to close and global networking. Cooperation agreements with patent offi ces in important target markets for Austrian companies – like the USA or China – accelerate the patent approval process in these countries, and this is a decisive starting advantage in a new market. AUSTRIA IN 2015 – A DETAILED OVERVIEW Once again, Upper Austria takes the pole position when it comes to inventiveness, with 621 applications at the Austrian patent offi ce. Most applications come from the plastics processing and machines for plastics moulding sectors, with 18 patent applications from the Engel Austria company alone. But also other Upper Austrian companies like Fronius International, the technology leader in the arc-welding sector, value the patent offi ce’s expertise and apply for national patents at an increasing rate as well. Vienna comes in second place with 464 applications, particularly from sectors such as medicine, veterinary medicine, and hygiene as well as railway and bridge construction (Plasser & Theurer) and communications engineering. Styria’s third place is due to AVL List, the company 64 JUNE 2016 ranking leader in the measuring and testing technology sector. This company applied for signifi cantly more patents (439) than last year. 414 applications came from Vorarlberg, which is an increase of 100 compared to last year. Many came from the electrical engineering and lighting sector (Tridonic and Zumtobel). Lower Austria moved down to the fi fth position despite an increasing number of applications, particularly from Zizala Lichtsysteme and its automotive headlights. Next up is Tyrol with 188 applications, for example from the gas engine and thermal power station sector (Jenbacher). Carinthia is also on the rise, overtaking Salzburg with 120 applications (from furniture and household technology sectors, among others). Salzburg’s 109 applications come mainly from the sports equipment and gaming sector, which are a little less than last year. Burgenland is in a similar situation with its 26 applications, of which some are from the electrical engineering sector. If one considers the provinces’ rate of invention per capita instead of the absolute number of registered innovations, the ranking looks very different. Vorarlberg took the lead in 2015 in this ranking with 108 applications per 100,000 inhabitants, followed by Upper Austria, Styria, Vienna, Tyrol, Lower Austria, Carinthia, Salzburg, and Burgenland. A SUCCESSFUL EXAMPLE OF AN AUSTRIAN PATENT SOLUTION FOR THE POOR SIGHTED EXPANDS ACROSS EUROPE Conventional glasses under ski goggles, or even more common, skiing without visual aids was the dangerous and unsafe compromise so far, with which many poor sighted had to live on the slopes. Christoph Rauter’s SEHKRAFT Institut für Sport® developed a completely new solution for this problem. After the patenting process and a » The Austrian Patent Offi ce can keep up with worldwide developments and is therefore a relevant factor for the assessment and evaluation of patents. This is a competitive advantage for Austrian companies that facilitates the assessment and implementation of their international patent strategies. HELMUT O. LIST, CHAIRMAN AND CEO AVL LIST GMBH Research and development as well as its resulting innovations and patents are decisive drivers for Austria’s economic growth.
NEW BUSINESS - EXPORT TODAY 1/2016
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