For the second year in a row, Northeastern ranks among the top 100 universities in the world for securing U.S. Utility Patents according to the report compiled by the National Academy of Inventors and Intellectual Property Owners Association.
With over 4,700 degree granting institutions in the US alone, being listed alongside fellow elite institutions like MIT, Stanford, Johns Hopkins, Columbia, Harvard, and Yale is impressive.
Impressive as this may be, there is a more important element that goes beyond the fact of mere recognition: namely, the tangible commitments that make such accolades possible.
One of these is a palpable commitment to innovation, which is expressed by attracting perspicacious researchers and amply investing in scholarship, for example. A commitment to innovate requires courage, the courage to make the unknown known.
Another is a commitment to relevance. A “Utility” Patent is fundamentally characterized by usefulness, specifically, “the invention of a new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or a new and useful improvement thereof.”* Such commitment moves boldly past speculation and theory into the realm of real-world application.
For an institution that invests $130.5 million annually in research, with a population of more than 1,600 researchers, and that enshrines the concept of “use-inspired” research into its mission, being among the top 100 is the result of a commitment to a cause.
Want to explore more reasons why being on this list matters? Read “Just the Facts, Ma’am, Just the Facts.”
For an example of how Northeastern cultivates innovation, read “Missile Base to Start Up Space: Northeastern Incubates Resilience.”
In the mood for more good news? Read “StreetScan Closes International Deal, Drives Joint Venture.”
*From the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office definition of “Utility Patent.”
Written by Brice Tennant
Photo by aoiharu. All rights reserved.