Immigrants as the Key to Innovation: In Whose Hands Are Germany's "Inventions"? ― The Fact That One-Seventh of Patents Are Issued to Immigrants

In Germany, a study reported that approximately 14% of patent applications (about 1 in 7) are filed by researchers and engineers with immigrant backgrounds. In 2000, it was "1 in 20," and in 2020, it was "1 in 8," indicating a long-term upward trend. The significant contributions come from Eastern and Southeastern Europe, Southern Europe and Latin America, and the Arab-Turkish regions, with Indian inventors expanding about 12 times from 2000 to 2022. The German Economic Institute (IW), which conducted the study, praised the progress of the skilled immigration system while recommending the digitization and standardization of reviews and the expansion of personnel. Statistics from the German Patent and Trademark Office (DPMA) also show a recent recovery in domestic application numbers, suggesting that the intellectual contributions of immigrants are likely to compensate for structural labor shortages and enhance competitiveness. Meanwhile, on social media, there is a heated debate involving three key points: "diversity as a competitive advantage," "the validity of classification methods," and "enhancing domestic education."