News
Siemens Increases Number of Patents by 10% to 55,000
POSTED 12/05/2008
Twelve outstanding inventors honored
Munich, 2008-Dec-02 -- In fiscal 2008, Siemens increased the total number of patents it has received by 10% to 55,000. In the same period, the company’s 32,500 R&D employees filed some 8,200 invention disclosures, corresponding to 37 inventions per working day. These invention disclosures subsequently generated 5,000 patent applications. On December 1, 2008, Peter Löscher, CEO of Siemens AG, honored twelve outstanding employees as “Inventors of the Year” in Munich. The award winners are responsible for a total of around 800 patents. Their research covers the full range of the company’s business activities, with efficient power generation and environment protection as one of the main topics – six of the twelve inventors work in these fields.
The spectrum of award-winning inventions ranges from gearless wind turbines, new alloys for high-temperature-resistant turbine blades and better combustion in gas heating, to reduced radiation dose levels in computer tomography. “Innovation is about providing the right answers to the most pressing questions of our time,” said Siemens CEO Peter Löscher. “Our 430,000 employees worldwide – and especially our award-winning inventors – help our customers to speed up their production processes and reduce their costs, while at the same time saving resources.”
The “Inventors of the Year” award has been presented annually to twelve Siemens R&D employees since 1995. “Our success is based on efficient innovation management. This can only be achieved when our innovation strategy is part of our business strategy and is geared toward attractive markets with long-term growth prospects,” said Professor Hermann Requardt, CTO and CEO of the Healthcare Sector. “Siemens has always seen itself as a trendsetter that combines business strength with technological strength.”
“The company’s central R&D department, Corporate Technology produces an above-average proportion of initial registrations,” said Dr. Winfried Büttner, head of Siemens’ patent department. The Industry Sector is particularly active in the patent area and has generated nearly 50% of all the company’s patents. “Siemens’ new structure is oriented towards rapidly growing markets such as renewable energy sources, integrated healthcare systems, and the digital factory of the future. We’re deliberately strengthening our patent portfolio in these growth areas. High-quality patents give us a competitive advantage as an innovator.”
The 2008 Inventors of the Year are as follows:
Dr. Peter Berdelle-Hilge Dr. Peter Berdelle-Hilge (55) from Konstanz has noticeably simplified and speeded up the sorting of large-format letters. Whereas two sorting systems were previously necessary, one is now sufficient. |
Herbert Brunner Herbert Brunner (44) from Regensburg has improved the efficiency of light-emitting diodes (LED) in a number of ways, for example by making the design and material of LED housing more temperature-resistant. |
Eric Chemisky Eric Chemisky (40) from Karlsruhe’s work includes the development of a piezo sensor which measures pressure and temperature at the same time in petrochemical processes. |
Dr. Winfried Esser Dr. Winfried Esser (58) from Mülheim a. d. Ruhr has invented a new process for the production of large turbine blades, which produces less waste at lower cost. |
Dr. Gerald Hohenbichler Dr. Gerald Hohenbichler (44) from Linz has improved the electronics in steel production so that the material can be processed in strips, thus saving energy. |
Dr. Rainer Lochschmied Dr. Rainer Lochschmied (46) from Rastatt developed a control system for gas heating which optimizes the air and gas mixture and reduces carbon dioxide emissions. |
Visvanathan Ramesh Dr. Visvanathan Ramesh (46) from Princeton, USA, produced cameras with sophisticated algorithms that can see “intelligently.” |
Dr. Rainer Raupach Dr. Rainer Raupach (36) from Forchheim optimized the image evaluation for computer tomographs. The radiation dose is reduced by up to 75 percent while the same amount of information is obtained. |
Dr. Eike Rietzel Dr. Eike Rietzel (38) from Erlangen improved the radiation technology for the particle beam treatment of tumors and enabled the radiation to be targeted with millimeter accuracy. |
Dr. Tevfik Sezi Dr. Tevfik Sezi (55) from Nuremberg created a new way of measuring power transmission which makes power supply lines less subject to failure and helps reduce transmission losses. |
Dr. Martin Stetter Dr. Martin Stetter (44) from Munich developed a simulation tool for molecular diagnosis which can be used for the early detection of disease. |
Henrik Stiesdal Henrik Stiesdal (51) from Brande in Denmark is one of the pioneers of wind farms. He is currently researching robust wind turbines which can operate without gears. |
Siemens AG (Berlin and Munich) is a global powerhouse in electronics and electrical engineering, operating in the industry, energy and healthcare sectors. The company has around 430,000 employees (in continuing operations) working to develop and manufacture products, design and install complex systems and projects, and tailor a wide range of solutions for individual requirements. For over 160 years, Siemens has stood for technological excellence, innovation, quality, reliability and internationality. In fiscal 2008, Siemens had revenue of €77.3 billion and income from continuing operations of €5.9 billion (IFRS).