University of California tops list of universities granted US patents

The University of California ranked first in the world among universities granted U.S. utility patents in 2015, according to a report released today (July 12) by the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) and the Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO).

UC has been No. 1 on the list since the NAI started publishing their rankings of university patent holders in 2013.

“This ranking underscores the University of California’s pioneering culture and entrepreneurial spirit,” said Christine Gulbranson, UC’s senior vice president for research innovation and entrepreneurship. “We’re pleased to be recognized as a leader in the development and practical application of new knowledge for the benefit of society and beyond.”

The UC system was granted 489 utility patents in 2015 for discoveries made by its researchers. As of June 2016, the university had a total of 4,760 active U.S. patents.

For more than two decades, UC has been the leading university patent owner and among the top 100 global patent holders — an elite group that includes IBM, Boeing, Siemens and Qualcomm. UC produces more patents than any other university in the country. The UC system averages nearly five inventions a day, rivaling many of the world’s top technology companies.

You can access the full report here.

More information on UC inventions can be found here.