UConn has been named one of the top 100 universities for patent issuances by the National Academy of Inventors (NAI).
UConn is number 72 on this list. In 2023, UConn inventions received 25 U.S. patents.
“It’s a great feeling,” says Abhijit Banerjee, UConn associate vice president for innovation and entrepreneurship. “I think it’s a reflection of the University’s total research mission as well as the accomplishments our faculty and scientists are doing every day. Increasing in patents is just one reflection of that.”
Published annually, this list highlights and celebrates U.S. universities that play a large role in advancing innovation and invention in the United States. NAI has published rankings since 2013, starting with the Top 100 Worldwide Universities list. Last year, they introduced the Top 100 U.S. Universities rankings.
The National Academy of Inventors bases its list on data from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
By filing patents, UConn helps researchers protect their work from infringement by others. Technology Commercialization Services (TCS) actively commercializes patents for licensing to third parties and to support the creation of startups.
A vast majority, approximately 90%, of UConn’s provisional patents are filed in-house with two attorneys hired in 2021. A fraction of provisional patents may still require the support of external law firms with expertise in special topics.
This strategy has vastly reduced the cost of filing patents and helped UConn develop a more targeted strategy about what to patent based on the market it would be entering and its commercialization potential. It has also supported filing quality patents and better coordination with external law firms.
TCS periodically reviews the University’s patent portfolio to identify patents for continuation, commercialization, infringement, and portfolio development.
The University’s patent portfolios help demonstrate areas of research expertise, such as climate and sustainability.
TCS not only supports researchers in filing patents but defends those patents in court if they are infringed.
“At UConn, Technology Commercialization Services is the guardian angel for protecting our patents,” Banerjee says. “We are the ones that preserve one of the University’s most valuable assets which is intellectual property.”
UConn’s patenting strategy reflects the University’s commitment to supporting research and innovation that contributes to the public good, Banerjee says.
“Patents are a testament to faculty’s contribution to the field,” Banerjee says. “And it demonstrates faculty’s inclination towards research commercialization, entrepreneurship, and, most importantly from the University’s standpoint, having these patents do public good in the future.”
