The university system has appeared on each list since the annual report began in 2013
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The National Academy of Inventors and the Intellectual Property Owners Association today announced the four universities that make up the University of Missouri System are among an elite group of universities based on the number of patents they have generated.
For the seventh year in the row, the UM System was included in the Top 100 Worldwide Universities Granted U.S. Patents report. The analysis shows the UM System, which includes universities in Columbia, Kansas City, Rolla and St. Louis, moved up 10 positions in the past year, ranking 60th compared to 70th last year. The ranking is based on data from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for the number of utility patents granted during the calendar year.
“This ranking is a clear example of the progress our universities are making in expanding and accelerating research activity,” President Mun Choi said. “I have challenged all of our universities to increase their research productivity. This kind of translational work, which results in patents and practical applications, is a key part of fulfilling that plan. Our patent production is more evidence that we have researchers who are capable of taking on the world’s grand challenges.”
In the past year, the UM System’s four universities secured 41 patents. Patents were issued across UM universities and include disciplines such as life and health sciences, engineering, and agriculture. Additionally, about $337 million in research funding has been awarded to the UM System so far in fiscal year 2019.
“I am thrilled to see this recognition of the patents produced by researchers within the University of Missouri System,” said Mark McIntosh, vice president of research and economic development at the UM System and vice chancellor of research and economic development at MU. “Patents are a strong indicator that our research is impactful, both economically and scientifically, and they show that the work that happens at our four universities is being realized to its fullest potential.”
Choi has highlighted research as an important focus across the system. During his State of the University Address last September, he announced $112 million in research investments, including $50 million designed to spur research breakthroughs and creative works; $12 million to attract members of the National Academies; and $50 million to support a statewide precision health initiative.
The precision health initiative relies on expertise from all four universities and will support collaboration among UM scientists, clinicians and entrepreneurs to accelerate the rate at which technologies reach the marketplace and make an impactful difference for health outcomes. Currently, the University of Missouri is beginning construction of a $220 million research facility to anchor the initiative. The approximately 265,000-square-foot facility will provide space for 60 principal investigators, about half of whom will be newly recruited in areas such as engineering, medicine, veterinary medicine, animal sciences, and arts and science.
“The overarching goal is to translate fundamental research from laboratories to effective treatments and devices — work that will ultimately accelerate our patent production,” Choi said. “The breadth, depth and quality of our faculty researchers across the UM System is astounding, and we plan to make investments in equipment and research grants to help them achieve their goals.”
The National Academy of Inventors is a member institution comprised of U.S. and international universities, and governmental and non-profit research institutes, with more than 4,000 individual inventor members and Fellows spanning over 250 institutions worldwide. The Intellectual Property Owners Association, established in 1972, is a trade association for owners of patents, trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets. It is the only association in the U.S. that serves all intellectual property owners in all industries and fields of technology.
The full report can be found here.
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Reviewed 2019-06-04