MUNICH - 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,” says 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,” says 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,” says 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.”