UMass Ranked Among Best in World for Patents Awarded

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BOSTON, Mass. — Solidifying its reputation as a world-class research and innovation leader, the University of Massachusetts ranks No. 37 on the Top 100 Worldwide Universities Granted U.S. Patents in 2018 list released today by the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) and the Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO).

This is the sixth consecutive year that UMass has landed on the prestigious list, and the university rose eight places in this year’s rankings. With 58 patents awarded in calendar year 2018, UMass ranks tops among public universities in New England, No. 3 overall in New England, and No. 30 overall in the U.S.

“These rankings reflect the significance and the entrepreneurial opportunity of the research enterprise at UMass,” said UMass President Marty Meehan. “Every day, our renowned faculty are unlocking new discoveries and creating new intellectual property with the possibility of creating new products and companies right here in Massachusetts.”

In addition to patent awards, the University of Massachusetts filed 203 invention disclosures, executed 32 licensing deals, and launched eight start-up companies in fiscal year 2018.

“These 58 patents, and the jump in our ranking, are an excellent indicator of the strength of our entrepreneurial activity,” said Katie Stebbins, Vice President for Economic Development at the UMass President’s Office. “What these numbers show is that UMass is one of the best in the world at developing world class research and delivering it to the marketplace.”

The University of Massachusetts is the fourth-largest research university in New England, with more than $650 million in annual research and development.

Founded in 2010, the NAI is a non-profit organization of universities and governmental and non-profit research institutions with more than 4,000 members. The IPO is a trade association of owners of patents, trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets founded in 1972.

The NAI and IPO have published the Top 100 Worldwide Universities Granted U.S. Patents report annually since 2013. Rankings are compiled by calculating the number of utility patents granted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, which list a university as the first assignee on the issued patent.

The University of Massachusetts was also ranked No. 71 on the Reuters list of the World’s Most Innovative Universities. The Reuters ranking highlights the educational institutions doing the most to "advance science, invent new technologies and help drive the global economy."