University of California First in Research Leading to U.S. Patented Inventions
May 16, 1997
By Terry Colin, terry.colvin@ucop.edu
UC research published in scientific journals was cited as a basis for a
U.S. invention in 3,125 instances during fours years in which patents were
examined by the NSF study. The study is, according to the NSF, the most
thorough examination of the scientific foundation of American patents and
shows that publicly financed science lies at the heart of most commercial
innovations.
"This is another excellent indicator of just how well the University of
California does when compared to other research institutions," said UC
President Richard C. Atkinson. "And how powerfully university research
drives the economy."
"The bridge from universities to industry is key. This is a strategic time
to invest in university-industry partnerships that put the products of
university research directly to work in the economy," Atkinson said.
The NSF study, which ranked the top 25 most frequently cited research
institutions, showed that when the research was broken down by topic, UC
campuses had 2,106 citations in biomedical papers, 288 in chemistry, 483 in
physics and 248 in engineering and technology.
After the citations were totaled by individual campuses among the top 25
research universities, UC San Francisco ranked fifth in biomedical
references with 930, UCLA was ninth with 642 and UC San Diego was 13th with
534.
In chemistry, UC Berkeley ranked fifth with 139 references, UCLA was 15th
with 74 and UC San Diego was 24th with 65.
In physics, UC Santa Barbara was ninth with 110 citations, UC Berkeley was
11th with 100, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory was 17th with 80,
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory was 19th with 74, Los Alamos
National Laboratory was 22nd with 63 and UC San Diego was 25th with 56.
In engineering and technology, Berkeley was third with 189 references and
UCLA was 14th with 59.
The study, conducted by CHI Research, Inc., for the NSF, found strong
evidence that publicly financed scientific research funded by the federal
government or nonprofit agencies at both public and private research
universities and laboratories plays a surprisingly important role in
breakthroughs and inventions produced by private industry in the United
States.
The study concluded that publicly financed science research was cited 73
percent of the time in research papers leading to patents as the basis for
the discovery or innovation. Private companies paid for the rest of the
patent research.
CHI examined the science references on the front pages of U.S. patents
during four years, 1987, 1988, 1993 and 1994, looking at all 397,660
patents issued. It is, according to the NSF, the most thorough examination
of the scientific foundation of American patents and shows that publicly
financed science lies at the heart of most commercial innovations.
To obtain a copy of the report, "The Increasing Linkage Between
U.S. Technology and Public Science," contact CHI Research, Inc. by phone at (609) 546-0600 or e-mail at 73302.1036@compuserve.com
The University of California and its affiliated national laboratories
produce more research leading to patented inventions than any other public
or private research university or laboratory, according to a study for the
National Science Foundation (NSF).
