Between hiding and finding: Ute Rusnak and Josef Eiblmaier at piznet

Karlsruhe, March 31, 2026 — Anyone who files a patent application for an invention wants to protect it. Anyone who conducts a search for an invention wants to find it. That was precisely the focus of Dr. Josef Eiblmeier’s keynote address at the 36th piznet Annual Conference in Saarbrücken.

In his presentation, “The Great Patent Race: Hide and Seek—Who Will Win?,” he traced the evolution of the patent system from its beginnings to AI-assisted creation and search of patent documents. In the past, research often meant traveling, leafing through documents, and guessing. Today, semantic methods and AI help us actually find, process, and understand content. This is particularly crucial in complex fields such as chemistry. At the same time, it’s clear that these new tools not only help with finding information but also with drafting patents. So the race remains wide open and exciting.

The annual conference was organized by piznet, the Network of German Patent Information Centers and a key partner of the German Patent and Trademark Office. With over 15 locations, piznet supports companies, startups, and universities with issues related to patents, trademarks, and intellectual property rights, and is part of the European PATLIB network.

The event was hosted by Patentinformationszentrum PIZ saaris - saarland innovation und standort GmbH. In addition to professional discussions, the main focus was on networking. Organizations such as VPP e.V., TransferAllianz e.V. and Deutsche Industrie- und Handelskammer were also present.

The program focused on topics such as the national IP strategy, funding opportunities offered by the European Patent Office, and initiatives by the DPMA. The role of patent information centers as an integral part of the innovation ecosystem was also strongly emphasized.

In addition to Dr. Josef Eiblmaier from FIZ Karlsruhe, speakers included Peter Berg, who discussed the national IP strategy, and Andreas Eder, who spoke about the Saarland’s innovation strategy.

For FIZ Karlsruhe, the event was a great opportunity to engage in discussions, strengthen relationships, and showcase the direction in which the organization is heading. Through initiatives such as Patents4Science, efforts are underway to better link patent information with scientific knowledge, thereby making it more useful.