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Get the most interesting and important stories from the University of Pittsburgh.Innovators at the University of Pittsburgh received 114 U.S. patents in 2023, up from 105 the year before. Their efforts earned Pitt a No. 14 ranking for utility patents granted among universities nationally, according to a list the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) published in June.
NAI has published the Top 100 Worldwide Universities list each year since 2013, and last year the organization added the U.S. ranking. Pitt is ranked No. 19 on the global list.
Pitt inventors can find support for bringing their ideas to life at every step of the process in the Office of Innovation and Entrpreneurship (OIE), which tracks patents issued each month and offers commercialization resources, sessions with experts in residence and funding opportunities to the University community.
“OIE helps Pitt innovators develop the fruits of their groundbreaking ideas and research, including filing for patents and connecting them with partners to bring their innovations to the world as new products and services,” said Evan Facher, vice chancellor for innovation and entrepreneurship and associate dean for commercial translation at the School of Medicine. “It’s a collaborative and meticulous process, and I congratulate the innovators and the staff at OIE, who work closely day-in and day-out to make a tangible impact for Pitt research.”
[Explore how OIE can help you protect your intellectual property.]
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. Pitt ranks just behind the University of Pennsylvania, which earned 119 patents, and ahead of Northwestern University (108 patents), Cornell University (94 patents) and Duke University (92 patents).
“As we look at the current and future state of innovation in our nation, we need to ensure that the U.S. is remaining competitive in the international innovation ecosystem,” said Paul R. Sanberg, NAI president and fellow. “Protecting intellectual property is a key component to this, and the Top 100 U.S. Universities list allows us to recognize and celebrate universities and their faculty, staff and students who are not only innovating at high levels but taking the additional step of protecting their IP through patenting.”
To learn more about Pitt technology available for licensing or sponsoring the University’s translational research, email partner [at] pitt.edu.
— Mike Yeomans, photography by Aimee Obidzinski