The University of New Mexico (UNM) is among the Top 100 Worldwide Universities granted U.S. utility patents in 2020, according to a report published by the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) and Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO). The rankings are compiled by calculating the number of utility patents granted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office that list a university as the first assignee on the issued patent.
This annual report has been published by the NAI and IPO since 2013 to highlight the important role patents play in research and innovation and to enhance the visibility of technology and innovation coming out of universities. The report ranks the University of New Mexico 86th among the top 100 for the number of issued U.S. utility patents received in the 2020 calendar year for its inventions.
“This marks the 9th year that the University of New Mexico has been ranked on this list,” said Lisa Kuuttila, CEO and Chief Economic Development Officer of UNM Rainforest Innovations, the university’s technology-transfer and economic-development organization.
“The UNM inventor community and their patents received each year is a confirmation of the quality and market potential of their new discoveries. These patents are important because they protect the inventor’s intellectual property rights and are essential to companies interested in licensing them and to our startup companies bringing them to the marketplace.”
“We applaud the innovative work of our inventors. They are an important part of our local innovation economy and their work continues to bring global recognition to the University and the state.”
The full report of the Top 100 Worldwide Universities Granted U.S. Utility Patents in 2020 can be found here: https://academyofinventors.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/NAI-IPO-Top-100-Universities-Granted-U.S.-Utility-Patents-2020.pdf
About UNM Rainforest Innovations
As the technology-transfer and economic-development organization for the University of New Mexico (UNM), UNM Rainforest Innovations protects and commercializes technologies developed at UNM by filing patents and copyrights and transferring them to the marketplace. We connect the business community (companies, entrepreneurs and investors) to these UNM technologies for licensing opportunities and the creation of start-up companies. Our vision is to play a vital role in New Mexico’s economic development and to be a leader in technology commercialization. Under the leadership of CEO & Chief Economic Development Officer Lisa Kuuttila, UNM Rainforest Innovations is substantially growing its program using the Rainforest model to develop an innovation economy in New Mexico. To learn more about us, visit our website at http://www.innovations.unm.edu
About the NAI
The National Academy of Inventors (NAI) is a member organization comprising U.S. and international universities, and governmental and non-profit research institutes, with over 4,000 individual inventor members and Fellows spanning more than 250 institutions. It was founded in 2010 to recognize and encourage inventors with patents issued from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, enhance the visibility of academic technology and innovation, encourage the disclosure of intellectual property, educate and mentor innovative students, and translate the inventions of its members to benefit society. www.academyofinventors.org
About the IPO
The Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO), established in 1972, is a trade association for owners of patents, trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets. IPO is the only association in the U.S. that serves all intellectual property owners in all industries and all fields of technology. IPO advocates for effective and affordable IP ownership rights and provides a wide array of services to members, including: supporting member interests relating to legislative and international issues; analyzing current IP issues; information and educational services; and disseminating information to the general public on the importance of intellectual property rights.