Baylor jumps 24 spots in Top-100 ranking of U.S. universities granted patents

Last year, Baylor appeared for the first time on a prestigious list for university innovations, debuting at No. 99 among the Top 100 U.S. Universities Granted Utility Patents. The list, published by the National Academy of Inventors, highlights the role of universities in American innovation.

This year, Baylor jumped all the way to No. 75 among the top 100 — a 24-spot jump that highlights a busy 12 months for Baylor researchers. Recognition on this list places a university in rarified air; among the top schools in the rankings are MIT, Stanford, Harvard and Cal Tech. Baylor is one of just five schools from the state of Texas on this year’s list, and is tied at No. 75 with large institutions like LSU and Texas Tech.

How did Baylor reach this point? Faculty are conducting inventive research that leads to products, and are making sure they take steps to move their research out of the laboratory and into the world. Two recent examples:

— 6P, a revolutionary color imaging system that dramatically enhances the number of colors a digital screen can display. Drs. Corey Carbonara and Michael Korpi of Baylor Film & Digital Media led the charge to develop 6P at the BRIC (Baylor Research and Innovation Collaborative).

— Verifi Technologies is a company formed from the research of Dr. David Jack, a Baylor mechanical engineering professor, who utilizes non-destructive ultrasound technology to test parts for airplanes and other products, making air travel safer.

Both of those examples were formed through Baylor’s Lab to Market Collaborative, a systemic approach to taking Baylor research and advancing it to the marketplace, where it can benefit others — an approach that is taking root, as the Top 100 recognition indicates.

Sic ’em, Baylor innovators!