Top 100 Worldwide Universities Granted U.S. Utility Patents in 2022 Announced

In celebration of World IP Day, the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) has released its annual list of the Top 100 worldwide university utility patent holders on April 26th. The Academy has been releasing the rankings based on calendar year data provided by the United States Patent and Trademark Office since 2013.

Kathi Vidal, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, commented:  “As we celebrate World IP Day, I am so pleased to see this evidence of the international impact of research and innovation conducted at academic institutions around the globe.  On this special day, we at the USPTO pledge to do all we can to maintain a strong intellectual property system here at home and around the world.”

“Throughout its existence, the National Academy of Inventors has sought to quantify with hard data, the vital role research and patented technology developed at academic institutions play in our society”, Dr. Paul Sanberg, President of the Academy noted. “Nothing we do more clearly illustrates that point than this annual report. We will continue to seek other ways to reinforce that message. I will be announcing next steps in that regard during our Annual Meeting in Washington DC June 25-27.”

In a change from past practice, the Academy has updated the requirements for the Top 100 placement to include all named assignees listed on the patent to provide a more comprehensive view of the patents held by these universities. Previously only the first named assignees was included in the count. See the full Top 100 Worldwide list here.


About the Top 100 Worldwide Universities Granted Utility Patents in 2022

The information provided in this list is based on data obtained from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. For this report, a university is defined as an institution that has undergraduate degrees. Patents include only utility patents granted during the 2022 calendar year. All assignees are credited for patents when listed. The number of patents granted does not necessarily indicate the value of a university’s technology, the effectiveness of its research, or whether its patents will be successfully licensed and/or brought to market. This is a dynamic list of worldwide institution patents. Some universities may record patents under different, yet similar names or combine their patents under one foundation or trustee name. If you have questions please contact:  [email protected]


About the National Academy of Inventors

The National Academy of Inventors 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 worldwide. It was founded in 2010 to recognize and encourage inventors with patents issued from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), 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. The NAI has a close partnership with the USPTO and is one of three honorific organizations, along with the National Medals and National Inventors Hall of Fame, working closely with the USPTO on many discovery and innovation support initiatives. The NAI publishes the multidisciplinary journal, Technology and Innovationwww.academyofinventors.org