Case Western Reserve University ranks No. 38 worldwide for the number of U.S. Utility Patents awarded to the university and its researchers, according to 2023 data compiled by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
The ranking places Case Western Reserve among the elite research universities and ahead of other Top 100 institutions such as Columbia, Yale and Carnegie Mellon. The University of California was listed as the top institution for securing patents.
The National Academy of Inventors (NAI) released the 2023 Top 100 Worldwide Universities List in celebration of National Inventors Day (Feb. 11) to showcase the important research and innovation happening within academic institutions.
Case Western Reserve had 79 patents this year, according to the NAI rankings.
“CWRU is delighted that our efforts to translate discovery to impact, often through patents, is recognized as important,” said Michael Oakes, senior vice president for research and technology transfer at Case Western Reserve. “The impact of our collective work is vital to our mission.”
Published annually since 2013, the report ranks the top 100 universities named as the first assignee on utility patents granted by the USPTO in the 2023 calendar year.
The USPTO awards utility patents based on what an idea or invention does or how it’s used. While only a small percentage of patented items reach the commercial market, the protections that patents provide represent a critical step toward engaging investors and entities.
“The Top 100 Worldwide list highlights the essential role universities across the globe play in creating patented technologies that beneficially impact society,” said NAI President Paul Sanberg. “At the academy, it is important for us to recognize and celebrate research and commercialization happening at the university level, as well as spread awareness on how intellectual property can benefit innovators and their institutions.”
For more information, contact Bill Lubinger at william.lubinger@case.edu.
This article was originally published Feb. 15, 2024.