University of Colorado beats Harvard in ‘patent power’
Nobel laureate Tom Cech, left, is one reason CU has been ranked as a major 'patent power' among universities
The University of Colorado is a patent-producing powerhouse, according to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
The IEEE’s “2010 Patent Power” rankings reflect a survey of more than 1,000 international entities to determine the most influential patent portfolios.
In IEEE Spectrum’s annual U.S. Patent Survey, the University of Colorado ranked 14th among universities, ahead of Harvard University, and immediately following the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University.
Patent portfolios are a collection of patents owned by a single unit such as a company, institute or university.
The IEEE survey aims to measure quality as opposed to quantity. In addition to the number of patents held by an entity, the survey analyzes the frequency with which an entity’s patents are cited by other patents and aims to measure the patents’ generality and originality.
The University of Colorado system holds the rights to 21 patents issued in 2009. Of those patents, nine originated on the CU-Boulder campus. Three originated from Thomas Cech, a CU distinguished professor of chemistry and biochemistry and one of four of CU’s Nobel Laureates.
Two other patents came from Marvin Caruthers, a distinguished professor of chemistry and biochemistry who is one of four CU faculty members to win the National Medal of Science.
For more information on the ‘patent power’ survey, see the report cards at IEEE Spectrum.
May 11, 2010