2016 marks Berggren's 80th year of service.
Patent and Engineering Agency Berggren O.Y.-A.B. was established on 14 October 1936 by a patent agent, a captain, and a lawyer. From the three founders, Martin Berggren, an experienced and active industrial property agent, took the lead while Captain Lerche remained a joint owner in the background, and Mr. Godenhjelm, Master of Laws trained on the bench, worked as a legal consultant for the firm.
To sum up Berggren's past decades in single sentences:
- In the 1930's, Martin Berggren worked together with another engineer in the small office on Lönnrotinkatu.
- After the second world war, the agency having a staff of ten moved to new premises at Mikonkatu 15, patent cases were clearly increasing, and trademark business grew as well.
- In the 1950's, the operation was strongly influenced by the economic cycle in the domestic and international markets, but Berggren's result was profitable during the whole decade and the volume of cases increased.
- In the 1960's, Berggren developed in the slipstream of industrial growth; more and more skilled IP agents were needed, and the number of staff grew first to 20 and then to 30.
- In the 1970's, Berggren expanded its stock ownership to employees on a wider basis, and more and more attorneys joined the firm.
- In the 1980's, Berggren expanded its operation by acquisitions and made significant investments in progressive office technology; the group of experts was increased by dozens again.
- In the 1990's Berggren moved from Kansakoulukuja 1 to Jaakonkatu 3 and diversified its business while Finland was facing a recession on one hand and joining the EU on the other hand.
- In the first decade of the third millennium, Berggren had already grown to a firm of more than 100 employees and took a great leap forward in developing its comprehensive selection of IP services as well as sophisticated electronic IP tools and work environments.
- In the current decade, Berggren is a European full-service IP house with strong in-house expertise on globally significant IP areas: Europe, China, Japan, and the US, as well as offices in Finland and the US.