University of California ranks No. 1 in higher education for U.S. patents

LOS ANGELES, April 26 (Xinhua) -- The University of California (UC), which is composed of 10 campuses along with numerous research centers and academic centers, was granted more U.S. utility patents last year than any other university in the world.

According to a news release published by the university on Wednesday, the latest National Academy of Inventors' Top 100 Worldwide Universities Granted Utility Patents list showed that in 2022, UC's vast research enterprise was awarded 570 U.S. utility patents.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology ranked second, with 343 utility patents, and the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals from Saudi Arabia stood on the third position with 233 utility patents.

The list, issued Wednesday as well, used data from the U.S. Patent and Trademark office, which it compiled as part of its mission to highlight the critical role played by universities in research and innovation.

A utility patent, sometimes known as a patent for invention, is granted for the creation of a useful new or improved product, process or machine.

"The UC system has a vibrant culture of innovation, entrepreneurship and cross-disciplinary collaboration across our 10 campuses, so it's gratifying to see that reflected in this ranking from the National Academy of Inventors," Theresa Maldonado, UC vice president for research and innovation, said in the press release.

For universities from China, Zhejiang University had the best performance on the list, ranking No. 15 with 142 utility patents.