An invention does not have to be the light bulb or the wheel. Many inventions arise from small, concrete improvements: a new component, a better material, a digital workflow, or a medical procedure.
The table below helps you estimate which category your idea might fall into.
Product, device, or mechanics
If it is a physical object or mechanism (component, device, construction).
Examples
New fastener, new valve, new mount, new mechanism
Material, chemistry, or process
If material properties, formulations, coatings, or a manufacturing process are central.
Examples
New coating, new mixture, new process step
Software, algorithm, or system
If the solution is essentially digital (logic, data processing, workflow, model).
Examples
New matching logic, new pipeline, new control system.
Medicine, diagnostics, or laboratory
If the core is medical or diagnostic.
Examples
New or modified active ingredient, new assay, new test procedure, new sample preparation
Your task
Do you and your invention or idea fit one of the categories in the table? Do you have a clearer picture of what an invention can be?
Choose the matching category from the table above.
If categories overlap: choose the one closest to the core of your invention.
Example
January 2026 – Lena, an oncologist at a university, investigates fundamental mechanisms of therapy-resistant tumour cells. During her experiments, her research team accidentally discovers a drug candidate that makes resistant cancer cells sensitive to chemotherapy again and shows promising results in initial tests.
While analysing the data, she realises that her research is not only scientifically interesting but may represent a patentable invention with major medical potential.
Ready for the next step?
Click here to start step 3 “I've made an invention – what now?”.
