The University of California is No. 1 in a National Academy of Inventors ranking of U.S. schools granted the most U.S. utility patents by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office released today, March 19.
Why it matters:
Patents are a key driver in helping America keep its edge over China, India and other global economies
Patents help ensure Americans get access to the world’s best innovations in health, technology, and more, first
Why UC matters:
Return on investment: UC leads in federal research funding, and delivers results
UC is also no. 1 in the world, per the National Academy of Inventors
UC produces nearly twice as many patents as the second-place university in the U.S.
UC generates more patents than government agencies and nonprofits, including the Department of Energy
UC leads on foundational science (75 Nobel Prizes, more than any other university) while also leading on commercialization, impacting daily life
How it happens:
The bipartisan Bayh-Dole Act of 1980 allowed universities, small businesses and nonprofits to own inventions from federally funded research and license new technology to companies
It also incentivized universities to invest a share of the revenue from licensing federally funded inventions back into innovation and commercialization
This policy change gave inventors both the incentive and the means to bring their work to market
Before the Bayh-Dole Act, federal agencies had only licensed 1,400 inventions to companies. Fast forward to 2024, when U.S. universities licensed 9,500 inventions to industry — in a single year
By the numbers:
UC has rights to over 6,800 active patents from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
University patents generated 1.9 trillion in economic output, created 6.5 million U.S. jobs and launched more than 19,000 startups from 1996-2020, per The Association of University Technology Managers
More on the National Academy of Inventors and the ranking:
The National Academy of Inventors is a member organization comprising U.S. and international universities, governmental agencies, nonprofit research institutes, and corporate/industry organizations with more than 4,600 individual members affiliated with more than 260 institutions worldwide
162 UC faculty are members
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