A 'top 10' university for patents in 2003, CU expects even more in '04

By Roger Segelken

Landing a spot in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's list, Top 10 Universities Receiving Most Patents in 2003, did not surprise technology-transfer specialists at Cornell Research Foundation (CRF), the unit that manages intellectual property for the university.

Cahoon

"This is just one measure of a successful technology transfer program, and all our indicators are on the increase. We're on track to do even better in 2004," said Richard S. Cahoon, senior vice president at CRF.

With 59 U.S. patents issued in 2003, Cornell shared the No. 10 ranking with University of Florida. In 2002 Cornell was 21st on the nationwide list, with 35 patents granted. The only other New York state university on the 2003 list -- and the only other Ivy League school -- is Columbia, with 61 patents and a ninth-place finish.

No. 1 on the list with 439 patents in 2003 is the University of California, the public system with nine campuses, 201,000 students and 160,000 faculty and staff members. By comparison, Cornell has three main campuses (in Ithaca, New York City and Doha, Qatar), 20,225 students and 11,835 faculty and staff members.

"If you consider the ratio of patents to employees, we're more than twice as productive as the University of California," Cahoon observed. "And we should do even better in the future. So far this year, we're averaging more than one new invention disclosure each business day," he reported, "and we expect to set an all-time high for the number of new inventions submitted to our office."

Cahoon also noted that not every invention disclosure results in a patent application and that months or years can elapse between a patent application and issuance of a patent.

"Of course not every patent application ultimately is successful," Cahoon said, "but Cornell's ranking among the major research institutions in the country is reflective of our thriving technology-transfer program. It is a testament to the ingenuity and enterprise of our research faculty and staff, as well as to the diligent work of the foundation staff and the patent attorneys who represent us in Washington."

Commenting on the 2003 top-10 list, Jon Dudas, acting undersecretary of commerce for intellectual property, said: "Academic researchers, and the inventions they patent, are integral to the progress of science and technology that strengthen the economy, create new jobs and enhance the health and welfare of all Americans."

Details on more than 360 Cornell-patented technologies available for licensing is on the Web at http://www.crf.cornell.edu/.