Among universities worldwide, the University of California system averaged the highest level of licensing income annually -- almost $100 million -- from its research discoveries in biotechnology, according to a new study of biotech-knowledge transfer.

The Milken Institute study, "Mind to Market: A Global Analysis of University Biotechnology Transfer and Commercialization," found:

- From 1997 to 2003, the University of California system was the most successful university in licensing income from its discoveries and inventions, a total average of about $100 million per year, followed by Stanford University ($50 million) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology ($33 million).

- Among U.S. and Canadian universities, the University of California system is runner-up behind MIT in turning knowledge into commercially viable products and start-up companies.

- UC ranked first for numbers of U.S. biotech patents issued, 723 patents between 2000 and 2004.

- UC produces the second-highest number of start-up businesses, approximately 20 a year.

- Three UC campuses are in the Top-10 rankings worldwide as measured by research publications, U.S. patents issued and the commercial impact of the discoveries. They are UCSF (4th), UC San Diego (6th) and UCLA (10th). Harvard University is No. 1 based on the three performance indicators.

- One out of every five nanotech patents come from the UC system.

The study by the Milken Institute, an independent think-tank based in Santa Monica, sought to determine which universities worldwide were doing the best job at technology transfer and commercialization of their discoveries and inventions in biotechnology.

"U.S. universities are the world leaders in transferring intellectual property to the private sector," says the report, which was funded by Inflect Technologies.

The study highlights the importance of research to a university's bottom line and its positive economic effects on its region. It also stresses the importance of a technology transfer office to a university and of a campus's proximity to clusters of biotech firms that can fund research.

The University of California has maintained an active patenting and patent licensing program for more than 40 years. Technology transfer at UC comprises campus licensing offices on nine of its campuses and a central administrative office at the UC Office of the President, which is the administrative headquarters for the UC system.

Objectives of the UC technology transfer are to license patents to industry to promote the development of inventions that have a practical use for the public. UC shares the income from licensed patents with the inventor and uses its share to support additional research and education.

The Milken Institute report is available at:
www.milkeninstitute.org

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