What do a ball bearing, a diminished reality technology, and a modern surveying system for sewer shafts have in common? The answer is provided by the exhibition “130 Years of patents and innovations in Ilmenau” at Technische Universität Ilmenau, which opened on September 24 with a vernissage.
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"Inventive spirit has always been part of our city": Exhibition showcases innovations from Ilmenau and Thuringia
From the establishment of the first patent issuing office in 1895, one year after the founding of the Thüringisches Technikum, to the present day: in the foyer of the University Library, representatives from science, politics and administration not only looked back on the 130-year history of PATON | Landespatentzentrum Thüringen and its predecessor organizations at the opening of the exhibition. They also emphasized the importance of ideas, intellectual property rights and innovative spirit for the region - and far beyond. PATON Director Dr. Christoph Hoock:
Our goal was and is to provide companies and inventors with expert support from a single source, from the concrete idea through to exploitation.
A tour through the exhibition, for which PATON employees have rummaged through archives, conducted interviews and designed a wide variety of exhibits, reveals the success of this claim - from the contribution of Wilhelm Höpflinger from Langewiesen to the development of the ball bearing to the model architecture for artificial photosynthesis, developed by an Ilmenau research team led by physics professor Thomas Hannappel and successfully patented in various countries. Display cases show the history of well-known Thuringian brand products, roll-ups provide insights into all types of intellectual property rights and a photo exhibition documents the development of patent information.
In the middle of it all: an original Simson motorcycle from 1988, which is a symbol of Thuringia's joy of design. But also for a "particularly successful cooperation" between the German Patent and Trade Mark Office (DPMA) in Munich and PATON, a research project on the digitization of design protection rights and their design heritage from the former GDR, as Katharina Mirbt, Head of the Department "Trade Marks and Designs" at the DPMA, emphasized. The result in the form of a database, which can now be used via the DPMA register, shows that the long-standing cooperation has not only unearthed historical treasures but is also very relevant in practice today:
This is exactly what PATON clearly stands for: for practical assistance and support for all people who want to have their intellectual property protected and market it, which is becoming increasingly important, especially in times of AI.
The exhibition also makes it impressively clear how closely brands such as VitaCola, Born, Köstritzer and Viba are linked to Thuringia's identity and innovative strength:
They exemplify the creativity and continuity of Thuringian companies across generations.
Ilmenau's mayor Beate Misch also paid tribute to the region's long tradition of innovation: "The spirit of invention has always been part of our city" - from the glassblowers who helped X-ray tubes achieve a breakthrough with their cathode ray tubes made of high-purity, gas-tight glass, to the more than 250 spin-offs of the TU Ilmenau, to the "enormous pioneering spirit and innovations, also from the university surroundings" in times of economic upheaval or the corona pandemic, which have shaped the region to this day.
Prof. Stefan Sinzinger, Vice President for Research and Young Scientists at TU Ilmenau, meanwhile turned his gaze to the future:
From environmental problems to political crises, we are still facing major challenges today. This exhibition clearly shows the potential we have to face these challenges creatively and optimistically.
One person who has already found a solution to a problem and was awarded the Thuringian Innovation Prize in 2024 is Mageeban Kuperan, a former student at TU Ilmenau and recent founder of the company KupTec. The story of his invention DiametriX® is also told in the exhibition. The system makes it possible to measure sewer shafts safely and precisely without people having to descend into the shaft. The invention, supported by PATON from idea to market-ready product, shows how closely patents and trademarks are linked to economic strength – just like the successful TU Ilmenau spin-off fayteq. With its patented diminished reality technology, which makes it possible to remove objects from live videos in real time, the company attracted international attention before being acquired by Facebook (now Meta) in 2017.
"130 Years of patents and innovations in Ilmenau" can be seen in the foyer of the TU Ilmenau University Library during regular opening hours until November 13, 2025. Admission is free.
To mark the opening of the exhibition, UNIonline spoke to the Director of PATON | Landespatentzentrum Thüringen at TU Ilmenau, Dr. Christoph Hoock, about the importance of intellectual property rights, the innovative strength of the region and how good ideas become successful inventions. To the interview.
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Dr. Christoph Hoock
Director PATON | Landespatentzentrum Thüringen