June 12, 2020
The University of Pittsburgh once again ranked among the top recipients of U.S. utility patents among worldwide universities in 2019, according to the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) and the Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO).
Published annually since 2013, the report ranks the top 100 universities named as the first assignee on utility patents granted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in the 2019 calendar year. Pitt is in a 3-way tie for the 28th spot with the University of Maryland and the University of Massachusetts. The full report can be found here.
“Pitt researchers are determined for their work to not only lead to new knowledge but also make an impact on the world through commercial translation. An important step in that process is to protect the intellectual property inherent in their discoveries,” said Evan Facher, Pitt’s vice chancellor for innovation and entrepreneurship and director of the Innovation Institute, which is responsible for the protection and licensing of intellectual property arising from Pitt research.
Over the past five fiscal years (2015-2019) Pitt innovators have generated nearly 80 percent more U.S. patents on their work compared to the previous five year period (2010-2014), reflecting the expanded funding, mentoring, and educational resources available through the university’s growing innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem.
“The institutions included in this year’s report are leading innovation worldwide through their encouragement of academic discovery and invention,” said Paul R. Sanberg, president of the NAI. “We are proud to collaborate with the IPO for the eighth consecutive year to highlight universities that have made critical contributions to society.”