UT System rises to No. 3 for most U.S. patents granted in 2017

AUSTIN – When it comes to making life-changing discoveries, University of Texas institutions have been ranked among the best in the world.

The University of Texas System is ranked No. 3 in the Top 100 Worldwide Universities Granted U.S. Utility Patents for 2017, released today by the National Academy of Inventors and Intellectual Property Owners Association. That’s up five spots from the 2016 ranking, in which the UT System ranked No. 8.  

The rankings are based on data obtained from the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The report has been published annually since 2013 to highlight the vital role patents play in university research and innovation and lists public and private research universities as well as university systems.

In 2017, researchers from UT’s eight academic and six health institutions were granted 219 patents from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

“UT researchers and inventors strive every day to translate transformative discoveries into innovations that improve lives and grow our economy,” said Larry Faulkner, UT System’s Chancellor ad interim. “We’re honored by the recognition of their good work from the National Academy of Inventors and Intellectual Property Owners Association.”

The top 10 universities worldwide in 2017, in order of ranking, include: The University of California System, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, The University of Texas System, Stanford University, Tsinghua University, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Johns Hopkins University, Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF), Harvard University and California Institute of Technology.

"The institutions on this list are doing incredible work promoting academic innovation and incubating groundbreaking technologies, which exemplify the importance of technology transfer to institutional success," said Paul R. Sanberg, president of the National Academy of Inventors.

Mark W. Lauroesch, executive director of the Intellectual Property Owners Association, added, "University patents help to ignite a culture of growth and innovation, which in turn stimulates local, regional, and global economies and generates funding for future research initiatives.”

Across UT institutions, research and development expenditures total $2.7 billion. As a whole, UT institutions have the second highest research expenditures among U.S. public higher education systems.

About The University of Texas System
Educating students, providing care for patients, conducting groundbreaking basic, applied and clinical research, and serving the needs of Texans and the nation for more than 130 years, The University of Texas System is one of the largest public university systems in the United States. With 14 institutions and a projected enrollment of more than 234,000 students, the UT System confers more than one-third of the state’s undergraduate degrees, educates approximately two-thirds of the state’s health care professionals annually and accounts for almost 70 percent of all research funds awarded to public institutions in Texas. The UT System’s operating budget for FY 2018 is $18.3 billion, funded in part by $3.6 billion in sponsored programs from federal, state, local and private sources. With more than 20,000 faculty – including Nobel laureates and members of the National Academies – and nearly 80,000 health care professionals, researchers, student advisors and support staff, the UT System is one of the largest employers in the state.