Teaching and research

• Introduction to Industrial Property Rights - Protection of Ideas with Patents, Trademarks and Designs (PATON – Landespatentzentrum Thüringen)
  Introductory course for students of all faculties within the framework of the offer Studium generale
  Registration centrally + additionally via Moodle
  Offered every summer semester, Thurs. 15:00 - 16:30
  Location: LB 4215
• Intellectual Property Management - Protection of Ideas with Patents, Trademarks and Designs (PATON – Landespatentzentrum Thüringen)
  For Master students
  Offered every winter semester, Thurs. 15:00 – 16:30
  Location: LB 4215

Documents

All documents are now available on Moodle of the TU Ilmenau. (Please search for "PATON").

Every semester, PATON offers the online self-study course "Create – Protect – Innovate: Bringing Ideas to Market." This course is provided by the European Patent Office (EPO) as part of the Modular IP Education Framework (MIPEF):

https://www.epo.org/en/learning/learning-resources-profile/universities-research-centres-and-technology-transfer-centres/modular-ip-education-framework

The course is offered at two levels:

• Entry Level
• Advanced Level (Recommendation: successful completion of the Entry Level)

Additionally, the following course has been available since the 2026 winter semester:

MIPEF IP management course

This course is particularly recommended for students in the fields of Business Administration, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation Management.

Course Format

This is an online self-study course supplemented by occasional live sessions. The course is divided into five modules. Please refer to the attached flyers for detailed information on the content.

Why participate?

• You will acquire solid knowledge regarding intellectual property (IP) protection.
• You will learn how to conduct targeted searches for patent information and use it strategically.
• You will develop an understanding of IP strategies for bringing innovative ideas to market.
• You will receive a certificate upon successful completion.
• Participation is free of charge for doctoral candidates and Master's students.

Logistics

• Registration: via an EPO link, which we will send to you after you register with us.
• Course language: English

CONTACT