LSU Ranks Among Top 75 Universities in the Nation Granted U.S. Utility Patents

Highest ranking in LSU history situates LSU as a leader among the more than 2,600 undergraduate degree granting universities in the nation

BATON ROUGE — LSU ranked No. 75 among universities granted U.S. utility patents in the National Academy of Inventors’ 2022 Top 100 Listing. According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, there are approximately 2,637 undergraduate degree granting institutions in the nation, and the National Academy of Inventors ranks the top 100 of those using the number of patents received by their faculty in a single year. The rankings mark the fifth time in seven years that LSU placed in the Top 100 list of universities granted patents, and the highest ranking in university history.

“LSU’s historically high ranking shines a bright light on the caliber of our faculty. This recognition reflects on the quality of our discoveries and the university’s dedication to innovation, as it tracks the utility patent production of the thousands of higher education institutions across the country offering undergraduate degrees,” said LSU President William F. Tate IV.  “At LSU, our innovators have conceived distinctive and novel technologies with the potential to improve lives, providing essential solutions that contribute to the betterment of our state and nation. Supporting and encouraging these inventors and their research aligns with our mission, embodies our university’s culture, and speaks directly to why Scholarship First matters.”

The 22 LSU-patented inventions include a magnetic refrigeration technology that cuts energy use by 20 percent to 50 percent, a bait that could end the wild “pigdemic,” self-powered lights that may triple the production of algae used for food and biofuels and potential treatments for heart injuries, herpes and pain.

Utility patents cover the creation of new or improved products, methods or machinery. Securing a patent is a complicated, costly and time-consuming process that may take several years. However, LSU has developed strategies to increase innovators’ odds of successfully securing patents and licensing their discoveries, including:

• Providing legal and technical assistance to file patents.
• Making LSU part of a National Science Foundation regional I-Corps hub. Faculty and students gain support, including entrepreneurial training, to commercialize their technologies and ideas.
• Establishing the Leverage Innovation for Technology Transfer Fund, or LIFT², to move LSU technologies and innovations to the market. The grants bridge the gap during the period before a startup generates any revenue and commercialization.

The Top 100 list is published annually by the National Academy of Inventors, or NAI. The list highlights and celebrates American innovation and showcases the universities that play a large role in advancing the innovation ecosystem within the United States and beyond.

The monetary value of patents can vary across technical sectors, but patents offer universities more than the promise of additional revenue. Patents can burnish a school’s reputation as a leader in research, innovation and economic development, stimulate additional research, help draw faculty and student inventors and create jobs in the local community.

“The latest rankings demonstrate that LSU’s efforts are paying off, that we can (and do) foster innovative research and that our faculty represent an amazing resource for the world. We look forward to moving the needle further with Spencer Rogers, the newly hired director of the LSU Office of Innovation & Technology Commercialization,” said Robert Twilley, LSU vice president of research and economic development.

NAI Executive Director Jamie Renee said invention has been part of the American experience since the country’s inception, with intellectual property protected in the Constitution.

“Innovation has always been at the heart of U.S. culture and the Top 100 Universities List allows us to recognize and celebrate the commitment these universities have to the American tradition of invention and protection of intellectual property,” Renee said.

"We are pleased to see LSU inventors achieving success with patent filings. The team at LSU’s Office of Innovation and Ecosystem Development is prepared to help faculty with inventions, startups and small business research grants from the federal government,” said Andrew Maas, LSU associate vice president of research for innovation and ecosystem development.

NAI’s Top 100 lists are created using calendar year data provided by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Top 100 placement includes all named assignees listed on the patent. See the full Top 100 U.S. Universities List here.

About LSU Innovation & Ecosystem Development  

LSU Innovation works with the LSU research community to facilitate the evaluation, protection and licensing of intellectual property created at LSU. LSU Innovation also focuses on establishing, developing and growing technology-based startup companies. This work maximizes the university's impact on the intellectual, economic and social development of Louisiana and beyond. LSU Innovation helps LSU entrepreneurs and the community through the evaluation of their discoveries and ideas, mechanisms for protecting their innovations, marketing and industry negotiations for intellectual property and licensing and other agreements.

 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 that is reflected in their joint mission to expand access to underrepresented individuals and institutions participating in the invention and innovation ecosystem. NAI is one of three honorific organizations, along with the National Medals Foundation 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 Innovation. www.academyofinventors.org