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PRESS RELEASE: Five Florida universities rank in the Top 35 public universities granted U.S. patents

University of South Florida, University of Florida, Florida International University, Florida State University, and University of Central Florida are part of the State University System of Florida.

TALLAHASSEE – Five Florida universities, all part of the State University System of Florida, are ranked among the Top 35 public universities granted U.S. utility patents in 2018, according to a new report by the National Academy of Inventors and the Intellectual Property Owners Association.

Among all public universities in the United States, University of South Florida ranked 7th with 96 patents, University of Florida Research Foundation ranked 8th with 90 patents, Florida International University ranked 15th with 65 patents, Florida State University ranked 28th with 34 patents, and University of Central Florida ranked 32nd with 32 patents.

“The five Florida universities represented on the Top 100 Worldwide Universities Granted U.S. Utility Patents are at the forefront of an incredible force of change within our academic ecosystem,” said Marshall Criser III, chancellor of the State University System of Florida. “We are incredibly proud of the innovative work these institutions have put forth this year, and we look forward to the changes they will bring to Florida’s economy.”

The report uses data acquired from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to highlight the important role patents play in university research and innovation.

“The patents our universities produce represent important processes and collaborations which have the potential to make a significant impact on society on a local, regional, national and global scale,” said Paul R. Sanberg, president of the National Academy of Inventors. “We are honored to partner with the Intellectual Property Organization in recognizing the top academic patent holders through this report for the seventh consecutive year.”

The five universities are Member Institutions of the National Academy of Inventors, as are all 12 universities in the State University System of Florida.

The National Academy of Inventors is a member organization comprising U.S. and international universities, and governmental and non-profit research institutes, and federal agencies with over 4,000 individual inventor members and Fellows spanning more than 250 institutions. The Intellectual Property Owners Association, established in 1972, is a trade association for owners of patents, trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets.

“Patenting an invention is the first step towards making a lasting impact on the innovation ecosystem,” said Jessica Landacre, Deputy Executive Director of the Intellectual Property Owners Association. “The Top 100 Worldwide Universities Granted U.S. Utility Patents demonstrates which institutions are at the forefront of this change, and highlights the important role innovation plays in local, regional and global economies.”

The National Academy of Inventors and Intellectual Property Owners have published the report annually since 2013. The rankings are compiled by calculating the number of utility patents granted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office that lists a university as the first assignee on the issued patent. For the purposes of the report, a university is defined as an institution that grants undergraduate-level degrees.

The full report of the Top 100 Worldwide Universities Granted Patents in 2018 can be found on Ingenta, where the National Academy of Inventors publishes the multidisciplinary journal Technology & Innovation.

Facts about the State University System of Florida and the Board of Governors

The State University System of Florida is a constitutional body led by the 17-member Board of Governors. The system has 12 universities and more than 345,000 students, making it the second-largest public university system in the nation. Responsibilities include defining the distinctive mission of each institution and managing the system’s coordination and operation. The Board appoints a Chancellor who serves as the system’s chief executive. For more, visit flbog.edu, think-florida.org, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.