Advice on intellectual property
We advise KIT employees on all matters relating to intellectual property. Our patent professionals each maintain a subject-related patent unit. In the case of an invention, we clarify the formal requirements for an invention and its proper disclosure at KIT and provide an initial estimation of the chances of patenting your technology. Depending on your individual situation, we will discuss further topics with you, such as:
- Legal bases (e.g. patent laws, employee invention law)
- Risks and avoidable mistakes when drafting an invention
- Patenting strategy and patenting process at KIT
- Patenting regulations in Germany and abroad
- Advice in the case of special patent cases
If the technology is software, further specific aspects need to be clarified in advance. This is where we involve our software licensing specialist.
If you have any questions about industrial property rights, please contact the KIT patent team at an early stage. Please note that, for legal reasons, we are only permitted to advise KIT employees and students who are employed at KIT (e.g. as student assistants).
Inquiries from third parties and students without an existing employment relationship can therefore not be answered.
The offices of the patent team are located on Campus North, Building 141, 6th floor. Please contact the responsible patent unit directly to arrange an individual appointment. You can reach us by telephone and e-mail.
For all written contact via e-mail, please copy the central mailbox patente@irm.kit.edu (CC).
In order to make the most of the consultation time, you should have your questions about intellectual property noted down and all relevant documents, such as sketches, descriptions, etc., with you. In the case of an invention, we recommend using the invention disclosure form for preparation. The structure provided there covers all relevant questions about the invention and its environment. A preliminary search on the patent situation and a list of your own and related third-party publications is also helpful.
Find the responsible patent unit
Our patent professionals each maintain a subject-related specialist unit:
Patent Unit 1 - Mechanics, Robotics, Process Engineering
- Institute for Automation and Applied Informatics (IAI)
- Institute of Vehicle System Technology (FAST)
- Institute for Technical Chemistry (ITC)
- Institute for Micro Process Engineering (IMVT)
- Institute of Production Science (wbk)
- Institute of Concrete Structures and Building Materials (IMB)
- Institute of Applied and Numerical Mathematics (IANM, EMCL)
- Institute for Information Processing Technologies (ITIV)
- Institute of Product Engineering (IPEK)
- Institute for Technical Thermodynamics and Refrigeration (ITTK)
- Institute of Technical Thermodynamics (ITT)
- Institute of Thermal Process Engineering (TVT/TFT)
- Institute for Piston Machines (IFKM)
- Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis (ITAS)
- Institute for Materials Handling and Logistics (IFL)
- Institute for Mechanical Process Engineering and Mechanics (MVM)
Your contact person: Dr. Andreas Weddigen
Patent Unit 2 - Micro-/ Nanotechnology
- Institute of Microstructure Technology (IMT)
- Institute of Nanotechnology (INT)
- Institute for Quantum Materials and Technologies (IQMT)
- Institute of Micro- and Nanoelectronic Systems (IMS)
- Helmholtz Institute Ulm (HIU)
Your contact person: Dr. Herrade Weis
Patent Unit 3 - Chemistry, Biology, Climate
- Institute for Technical Chemistry (ITC)
- Institute of Catalysis Research and Technology (IKFT)
- Institute of Biological and Chemical Systems - Biological Information Processing (IBCS-BIP)
- Institute of Biological and Chemical Systems - Functional Molecular Systems (IBCS-FMS)
- Institute of Process Engineering in Life Sciences (BLT)
- Institute of Functional Interfaces (IFG)
- Institute of Inorganic Chemistry (AOC)
- Engler-Bunte-Institute (EBI)
- Institute for Biological Interfaces (IBG)
- Institute of Organic Chemistry (IOC)
- Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research (IMK)
Your contact person: Dr. Kristina Münnich
Patent Unit 4 - Physics, Electrical Engineering, Optics
- Light Technology Institute (LTI)
- Institute for Pulsed Power and Microwave Technology (IHM)
- Institute for Data Processing and Electronics (IPE)
- Institute for Photon Science and Synchrotron Radiation (IPS, ANKA, LAS)
- Institute of Applied Physics (APH)
- Institute for Radio Frequency Engineering and Electronics (IHE)
- Institute of Photonics and Quantum Electronics (IPQ)
- Communications Engineering Lab (CEL)
- Institute of Electrical Engineering (ETI)
- Institute for Anthropomatics and Robotics (IAR)
- Institute of Industrial Information Technology (IIIT)
- Institute of Physics (PHI)
Your contact person: Dr. David Ball
Patent Unit 5 - Physics, Materials, Energy Technology
- Institute for Technical Physics (ITEP)
- Institute for Applied Materials (IAM)
- Institute for Thermal Energy Technology and Safety (ITES)
- Institute of Astroparticle Physics (IAP)
- Institute for Neutron Physics and Reactor Technology (INR)
- Institute for Nuclear Waste Disposal (INE)
Your contact person: Dr. Sandra Vollmer
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Are you an employee at KIT, but your institute is not on the list of patent units? Then please send an e-mail to the central mailbox:
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The first step towards a patent is the invention disclosure. Further information on the procedure and the necessary forms can be found online.
To the invention disclosure
Find out how the patent process works at KIT. We guide you through all the steps to protect your research results and make them commercially viable.
To the overview
Comprehensive information on dealing with intellectual property and inventions as well as invention royalty can be found in the “Guidelines for Technology Transfer at KIT”.
Download hereFor all KIT employees who would like to learn more about the protection of intellectual property, for example the application of patents, we offer individual institute or working group seminars by appointment. To arrange an individual appointment, please get in touch with your contact person in the patent unit or send a request to patente@irm.kit.edu.
Legal advice for students and persons who are not employed at KIT by the patent officers of KIT is not permitted by law. As an alternative point of contact, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Karlsruhe (IHK) offers a free initial advisory as part of the invention consultation days.