University of Wisconsin: WARF/UW-Madison among top 10 universities granted U.S. utility patents in 2020

The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF), which manages intellectual property for the University of Wisconsin-Madison, has just been ranked seventh for U.S. utility patents granted in 2020, according to the annual Top 100 Worldwide Universities report.

The report, published by the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) and Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO), uses data from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to highlight the important role patents play in university research and innovation. Utility patents are those that cover inventions, including materials, processes, functions and devices.

Michael Falk, WARF’s chief intellectual property and licensing officer, says: “In a competitive international field, to secure more than 160 U.S. utility patents in a given year is a testament to the world-class researchers of UW-Madison. Patents represent years of effort and iteration, and behind each of them are people working to impact the world. WARF is a proud partner in this enterprise.”