The University of Pittsburgh ranks #16 for U.S. Universities granted utility patents in 2022, according to a new list published by the National Academy of Inventors (NAI). This new list was created to highlight and celebrate American innovation and to showcase the universities that play a critical role in advancing the innovation ecosystem within the U.S. and beyond.
Pitt innovators received 105 U.S. patents in 2022, just behind the University of Pennsylvania (108 patents). Other Pennsylvania universities on the list include Carnegie Mellon University, ranked #37 (59 patents); Penn State University, ranked #51 (43 patents); Drexel University, ranked #57 (34 patents); and Temple University, ranked #75 (22 patents).
“Being issued a patent is an important milestone for Pitt innovators seeking to make an impact for their research discoveries,” said Evan Facher, Pitt’s vice chancellor for innovation and entrepreneurship and associate dean for commercial translation at the Pitt School of Medicine. “While obtaining intellectual property protection is a major achievement, it is only one step on the journey to impact. We are pleased that more and more Pitt innovators are engaged in commercialization journeys, taking advantage of the expanding resources and funding offered through the Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (OIE) and its partners, both across the university, and with industry and other external organizations.”
Some examples of those resources include Pitt’s participation in the NSF I-Corps commercialization training program. I-Corps offers month-long commercialization “short courses” that enable academic innovators to explore the commercial potential of innovations emanating from their research. Upcoming funding opportunities include the Michael G. Wells Healthcare Competition, offering $40,000 in awards to advance innovations on the path to impact. The Innovation Institute, one of the four operating units of the Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, has also expanded its online educational resources for innovators interested in learning about commercialization topics at their own pace.
For those further down the commercialization path, the Innovation Institute has recently launched the Pitt Ventures Startup Academy, which provides 360-degree support for innovators ready to commit to launching a startup company based on their Pitt-developed intellectual property. More Pitt innovators are also choosing to accelerate their innovations toward the market with an an industry partner through sponsored research in collaboration with the Office of Industry and Economic Partnerships, another unit of the OIE.
Since 2013, NAI has published the Top 100 Worldwide Universities list. The Top 100 U.S. Universities list is the newest ranking published by NAI. The Top 100 U.S. Universities list is meant to provide a more focused view of the national innovation landscape and the contributions made by U.S. academic institutions.
“As a U.S. based national Academy, it is important to us not only to showcase innovation happening on the broader world stage, but here at home as well. Invention has been part of the American experience since the country’s inception, with intellectual property being protected in the Constitution”, said Jamie Renee, Executive Director of NAI.
See the full Top 100 U.S. Universities List here.
About the Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship
The Office of Innovation & Entrepreneurship inspires, educates and enables others to make an impact on society, improve the regional economy and transform their own careers. The office is composed of four units: The Innovation Institute, the Office of Industry and Economic Partnerships, the Big Idea Center for student innovation, and the Institute for Entrepreneurial Excellence.
About the National Academy of Inventors
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