On January 15, 2025, the Local Division of the Unified Patent Court (UPC) in Denmark granted Vahterus Oy an injunction against a Serbian company manufacturing counterfeit products. Vahterus Oy, a pioneer in the industry, specializes in innovative plate & shell heat exchangers. The company has an extensive patent portfolio, protecting its innovations in a number of different countries. Vahterus has firsthand experience of the tangible benefits that patents can bring. As a result of the UPC ruling, the infringing manufacturer was ordered to cease importing and selling its products in all countries where Vahterus’ patent is valid. Berggren serves as Vahterus’ comprehensive IP partner and also assisted in handling the infringement case and filing the lawsuit.
Vahterus is a remarkable example of how a Finnish family-owned company has grown into a significant international player. The company’s journey began in 1990 in the village of Vahterus, located in south-western Finland, from which it also takes its name. The company’s first facility was the old barn of CEO Mauri Kontu’s family farm. Today, its main headquarters are located on the premises of an old cooperative dairy in Kalanti.
– I was born in the village of Vahterus, about 10 kilometers from here. When the old barn burned down, we moved to this dairy, which was vacant at the time. The dairy was originally established in 1904 when the cooperative movement was very strong, Kontu recalls.
Mauri Kontu, Vahterus, CEO
Before founding Vahterus, Kontu worked at a shipyard of Rauma-Repola in Uusikaupunki, where he designed and manufactured gasketed plate heat exchangers. When work at the shipyard ended due to the collapse of the Soviet Union and a decline in orders, Kontu began developing an entirely new type of heat exchanger. This effort resulted in the plate & shell heat exchanger, which consists of a welded plate pack enclosed within a pressure vessel. The key feature of the design is its welded structure, eliminating the need for gaskets that could wear out or break under demanding conditions.
– Our product is more compact and efficient than a conventional heat exchanger. This has helped us gain a strong foothold in the market. At the time, our product was the first and only one of its kind. Even today, other manufacturers are essentially copycats, summarizes Kerttu Kupiainen, Principal Product Design Engineer and Team Leader at Vahterus.
Kerttu Kupiainen, Vahterus, Principal Product Design Engineer and Team Leader
Nearly 30 years of collaboration has established clear processes
Over more than three decades, Vahterus has grown from a small startup with just a few employees into a large international company employing around 600 people. In 2024, Vahterus’ total revenue amounted to 114 million euros, with exports accounting for the majority of sales.
– Throughout our history, our strength has been our continuous drive to develop and innovate. Product development and patent protection are extremely important to us, Kontu emphasizes.
Vahterus began collaborating with Berggren in the late 1990s, with the first trademark application filed in 1997. Today, Berggren manages various IP matters for Vahterus.
– We don’t have the expertise or understanding needed to handle patent and trademark applications on our own. We rely on Berggren’s diverse expertise,” Kontu states.
– Essentially, we just inform Berggren when we have a new invention. We typically send them pictures and start drafting the necessary documentation for the application together with our patent attorney. Over time, we’ve developed a clear process for how to proceed with new inventions—deciding which countries to apply for patents in, which system to use, and so on, Kupiainen adds.
Shared understanding thanks to Berggren’s industry expertise
One key factor behind the long-term collaboration is Berggren’s deep industry knowledge. Over the years, Berggren has become familiar not only with Vahterus’ patent portfolio but also with its products and business model.
– They know our previous patents and are aware of common patenting practices in our industry. It’s crucial that they understand our field. We can’t always explain things perfectly in a way that just anyone would grasp. Someone who has worked with us for decades understands much more quickly what we want to patent, says Valtteri Haavisto, Technology and Development Director at Vahterus.
– Sometimes, it seems that they can describe the structure of our products even better than we can, Kupiainen laughs.
Suspected patent infringement led to legal proceedings
As Vahterus expanded into new markets, Berggren’s international expertise became increasingly vital alongside its industry knowledge. The importance of legal expertise in cross-border patenting was particularly highlighted a few years ago when Vahterus suspected a counterfeit manufacturer of patent infringement.
– The suspicion arose about three years ago when we obtained offer drawings from a Serbian counterfeit manufacturer. About two years later, a customer from Denmark contacted us, saying that their heat exchanger had broken during use. We discovered that it was manufactured by the same counterfeit company. The defective heat exchanger was sent to us for examination, and it became clear that the counterfeit manufacturer was infringing on our patent, Haavisto explains
Discussions about potential patent infringement with Berggren began immediately after seeing the offer drawings. Once the counterfeit heat exchanger was received for examination, Berggren participated in the investigation process. Based on the findings, Vahterus filed a lawsuit against the counterfeit manufacturer in the UPC, with Berggren representing the company.
– We had no prior experience in such a process. We explained the situation to Berggren and asked for guidance on what to do. They laid out our options and explained the necessary steps. We worked together to ensure that everything was done correctly from a legal perspective, Haavisto summarizes.
We can be very satisfied with Berggren’s work
The patent infringement case was tried by the UPC in Denmark in February 2025. The UPC ruled that the Serbian counterfeit manufacturer had infringed Vahterus’ patent and ordered it to stop selling the infringing device and any other potentially infringing devices in all countries covered by the patent. One of the key advantages of the Unified Patent Court, which started operating in 2023, is that a single legal proceeding can lead to an injunction across a number of countries. Previously, injunctions had to be sought separately in each country’s competent court, leading to significant additional costs, delays, and, in some cases, contradictory rulings.
– We can be very satisfied with Berggren’s work. The process went smoothly, and they provided us with comprehensive support. They gave us important advice, as we don’t have sufficient knowledge of patent law. Without Berggren, we wouldn’t have pursued this at all, because we wouldn’t have had the necessary expertise. We wouldn’t have even known how to assess our options, costs, or potential consequences, Haavisto acknowledges.
– Berggren’s experience in handling international patent matters is the cornerstone of our collaboration. Many things would have been left unresolved without them, Kontu concludes.
An international yet local partner
Although much of the collaboration focuses on international patent matters, Berggren remains a genuinely local partner for Vahterus. Berggren operates locally, and European Patent Attorney Katja Mäkelä is available to visit Vahterus’ headquarters in Kalanti on short notice if needed.
– Having a local contact person always feels more personal in some way, Kupiainen says.
Vahterus also has a patent engineer agreement with Berggren. In practice, this agreement allows Vahterus to utilize Berggren’s experts more extensively in daily operations beyond just patent and trademark applications.
– The patent engineer agreement has brought flexibility to our collaboration. It’s not just about individual patents—we’ve also been able to use Berggren’s experts for other IP matters, Kupiainen summarizes.
– Berggren has diverse expertise, including persons specialized in legal affairs. I believe the patent engineer agreement has enabled us to receive more comprehensive service. We highly recommend Berggren for their broad expertise and extensive service offering, Kontu concludes.