German inventions transform global life

Germany, often called the land of ideas, is the birthplace of numerous inventions that have changed the world.

At present, one German patent on average is registered every 23 minutes at the European Patent Office, the yearly total amounting to 23,044 in 2004 alone.

Irrespective of whether they are based in a small garage or a large research department, Germans have been able to come up with a host of eminent inventions: the computer and aspirin among them.

The flow of rich ideas remains unabated today - the Mars camera, the chip card, and the three-dimensional microscope are all German inventions.

Germans are especially good at aircraft and automobile manufacturing; they excel in mechanical engineering, and in laser, environmental, nano and biological technologies. Thus, with a 16.2-percent share of worldwide trade in research-intensive goods, Germany is on top of the global league - alongside the United States.

Passionate German inventors never rest content with past accomplishments.

In 2004, over 60 percent of German industrial companies either launched new products or optimized their production processes.

The invention of the MP3 format revolutionized the music industry. No sooner had this been accomplished than German scientists applied themselves to the development of new audio and video coding for the MPEG standard, with the result that films can now run on pocket-sized players.

It is no coincidence that so many key inventions come out of Germany, as it has as many as 397 innovation and incubator centers looking after the needs of 12,000 companies and start-ups. This is why Germany is one of Europe's most innovative countries, a place where a garage-based operation can transform itself quickly into a successful business; where good ideas can translate themselves quickly into successful products:

Pathbreaking inventions

In 1450, Johannes Gutenberg invented the modern printing press, using moveable type for large print runs. With unit costs spectacularly lower compared with handwritten copies and the attendant increase in text precision, science and literature received a tremendous boost from Gutenberg's invention.

In 1860, Philipp Reis developed a machine for sound transmission by means of electro-magnetic waves - the first telephone - 16 years before Alexander Graham Bell presented his device.

In 1891, Otto Lilienthal took off on his first 25-meter glide-flight, inaugurating the modern art of flying.

In 1895, Wihelm Conrad Rontgen discovered x-rays, revolutionizing diagnostic medicine. Today, Siemens Medical Solutions is revolutionizing x-ray technology, and Somatom Definition provides three-dimensional x-ray images. With its two x-ray tubes, the world's first Dual Source Computer Tomography system (DSCT) produces images of unparalleled brilliance and at unmatched speed. In this way, a beating heart can be viewed and examined with the aid of high resolution - all with less than half the x-ray dose required by current systems and without the use of a scalpel.

In 1896, Gottlieb Daimler constructed the very first lorry, its four BHP engines able to manage a payload of 1.5 tons.

In 1897, Felix Hoffmann developed the first non-perishable and harmless painkiller, soon to be widely known as "aspirin," a milestone in medical history.

In 1907, Henkel launched the first modern laundry detergent, Persil.

In 1931, Ernst Ruska and his team invented the electronic microscope. Two years later, magnifications by a factor of 12,000 became possible, allowing the scientific community a delightful glimpse into the micro-cosmos.

In 1938, Konrad Zuse invented the world's first computer, becoming the founding father of the information age.

Manfred von Ardenne successfully made the first television broadcast 70 years ago. Later, the PAL system invented by German engineer Walter Bruch brought color television images to billions of families. The flat-screen TVs of today deliver pictures of unprecedented sharpness. Chemical company Merck KGaA produced the liquid crystals that first made this possible. This global market leader is renowned for its wealth of ideas, and holds more than 2,500 patents for liquid crystals.

In 1949, Fritz Stastny developed Styrofoam. Though it is 98 percent air, Styrofoam is a rugged and durable material, making it a perfect packing material.

In 1969, Jurgen Bethloff and Helmut Goettrup registered a patent for a plastic card with an integral circuit. A small idea proves a great success. Today, chip cards with micro-processors can be found in every wallet, facilitating payments, telecommunications, medical services and a host of other services that improve the quality of life.

In 1971, Hermann Kemper's idea of a vehicle based on magnetic levitation resulted in the maiden run of the German monorail system - Transrapid. Shanghai has been connected to its Pudong International Airport by such a system since 2003.

In 1980, Petri AG and Mercedes-Benz jointly developed the steering wheel mounted driver airbag - precision work that can save a life in a matter of 30 milliseconds. Airbags are now standard equipment in every modern car.

In 1992, the Fraunhofer Institute in Erlangen came up with a world-beater: its digital audio format - MP3 - which defines international standards, and allows thousands of songs to fit into your trouser pocket.

In 1997, the German Aerospace Center developed the HRSC Mars camera. In 2004, it captured three-dimensional images of the surface of Mars from its position on board the Mars Express space probe.