Already ranked by Reuters as the #1 most innovative public university in the world, the University of Washington just added another notch on its belt. In a recent report published by the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) and Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO), UW was ranked #19 for the Top Worldwide Universities Granted U.S. Utility Patents for 2015.
CoMotion, a lab focused on moving innovation from idea to impact, played a key role in UW’s ranking. In fact, almost 50% of UW’s patent portfolio is licensed — an impressive percentage compared to other universities, and a clear reflection of UW’s quality patents. The rankings were compiled by calculating the number of U.S. patents that list a university as the first assignee.
In a News Release from the University of Washington, Jesse Kindra, the Director of Innovation at CoMotion spoke about the ranking.
“We at UW CoMotion are excited about the number of patents our UW community generates and the innovative work they represent,” she said. “More specifically, we are focused on the quality of these patents and ultimately being able to translate these results into licenses or startups that are launched from our university. Having the greatest societal impact is what is most important to us.”
CoMotion Labs
CoMotion is a collaborative and innovative hub for the UW community. It seeks to offer students the tools and connections needed to accelerate innovative ideas. The lab brings together top UW researchers with partners across UW and Seattle to develop creative solutions for local and global innovation ecosystems.
To help achieve its vision, CoMotion recently decided to move to a new headquarters in mid-August. The new building will have a large incubator space, which will cater to virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AU) startups. The new facility will also have two new lab areas, 34 desks, conference rooms, event rooms, lunch rooms, and other common spaces to help inspire innovation.