Baylor University Moves Up in Rankings of Top 100 U.S. Universities Granted Utility Patents in 2022
Top university patent holders ranked in annual report from the National Academy of Inventors and Intellectual Property Owners Association
Alan Wang, Ph.D., (right) The Mearse Chair in Biological and Biomedical Engineering Professor at Baylor, works with engineering students in the Nano-Optics and Advanced Health Sensing lab. (Robert Rogers/Baylor University)
Contact: Lori Fogleman, Baylor University Media & Public Relations, 254-709-5959
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WACO, Texas (Sept. 12, 2023) – Baylor University moved up to No. 75 among the Top 100 U.S. Universities Granted Utility Patents in 2022, a 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 large role in advancing the innovation ecosystem within the U.S. and beyond.
The report uses data obtained from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and highlights the vital role patents play in university research and innovation. Published annually since 2013, the list ranks the top 100 universities named as the first assignee on utility patents granted by the USPTO in the 2022 calendar year. 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. The full report can be found here.
Baylor is among only five Texas universities listed in the report, including the University of Texas System, Texas A&M, University of Houston System and Texas Tech System.
“It is an honor to be included among these elite research institutions for a second year in a row, and a validation across the University of our efforts to produce research whose impact reaches beyond campus,” said Kevin Chambliss, Ph.D., vice provost for research at Baylor and professor of chemistry and biochemistry. “Baylor’s significant jump in these rankings is a testament to the alignment and momentum throughout the University, from faculty, to our technology commercialization team and Office of General Counsel. Baylor researchers have contributed to patents that have led to the formation of new companies, and I’m excited to see where their efforts lead in the future.”
As a Research 1 university, Baylor faculty are at the forefront of advancing human knowledge, contributing to their disciplines and creating solutions to some of the world’s most meaningful challenges – with Baylor’s distinct voice and Christian mission – through grants, partnerships and collaboration both on and off-campus.
Baylor’s research infrastructure is headlined by the strategic focus of Illuminate and by Baylor’s core research facilities, which provide university and industry partners with the focus, funding and facilities needed to conduct groundbreaking research. Through the Office of the Vice Provost for Research, the Technology Commercialization and Industry Engagement division, which includes the Lab to Market Collaborative (L2M), assists Baylor faculty by identifying industry partners who seek the expertise of faculty researchers to solve problems related to their industry and encouraging collaboration that could support the research leading to a solution.
L2M is a unity of effort between Baylor and Waco Ventures to establish a perpetual pipeline of ideas, inventions and technologies and effectively move them from the laboratory to the marketplace with speed and agility. L2M uniquely translates technology into products and services that have real-world impact.
When collaborations or other funded research lead to technological discoveries or products that have potential for commercialization, the Technology Transfer Office reviews the technology, including assessing and evaluating the intellectual property for appropriate protection, and when appropriate, navigating the course toward patents and commercialization, including a range of IP options.
“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. “Innovation has always been at the heart of U.S. culture, and the Top 100 U.S. Universities list allows us to recognize and celebrate the commitment these universities have to the American tradition of invention and protection of IP.”
ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked Research 1 institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 20,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 100 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.
ABOUT THE TOP 100 U.S. UNIVERSITIES GRANTED UTILITY PATENTS IN 2022
NOTE: The information provided in this list is based on data obtained from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. For this report, a university is defined as an institution that has undergraduate degrees. Patents include only utility patents granted during the 2022 calendar year. All assignees are credited for patents when listed. The number of patents granted does not necessarily indicate the value of a university’s technology, the effectiveness of its research, or whether its patents will be successfully licensed and/or brought to market. This is a dynamic list of worldwide institution patents. Some universities may record patents under different, yet similar names or combine their patents under one foundation or trustee name. If you have questions, please contact info@academyofinventors.org
ABOUT THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF INVENTORS
The National Academy of Inventors is a member organization comprising U.S. and international universities and governmental and non-profit research institutes, with over 4,000 individual inventor members and Fellows spanning more than 250 institutions worldwide. It was founded in 2010 to recognize and encourage inventors with patents issued from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), enhance the visibility of academic technology and innovation, encourage the disclosure of intellectual property, educate, and mentor innovative students, and translate the inventions of its members to benefit society. The NAI has a close partnership with the USPTO that is reflected in their joint mission to expand access to underrepresented individuals and institutions participating in the invention and innovation ecosystem. NAI is one of three honorific organizations, along with the National Medals Foundation and National Inventors Hall of Fame, working closely with the USPTO on many discovery and innovation support initiatives. The NAI publishes the multidisciplinary journal, Technology and Innovation. www.academyofinventors.org