No. 6 for commercializing biotech research

The University of Minnesota has helped establish more than 35 start-up companies within the last five years and now holds nearly 500 active technology transfer agreements with business and industry.

From eNews, Sept. 28, 2006

Despite growing efforts by universities around the world to catch up, the United States remains the global powerhouse in biotechnology research--and also when it comes to turning research into commercial applications, according to a new study from the Milken Institute.

In the study, the University of Minnesota ranks sixth in North America in the category of Technology Transfer and Commercialization Index (or the ability to turn knowledge into commercially viable products and companies). In other categories, the University was 27th globally in Patent Rankings and 75th in Research Publication Rankings.

"We are excited about the findings in the Milken Institute study," says Tim Mulcahy, vice president for research at the University of Minnesota. "This study reinforces the University's investment in technology commercialization and in our partnerships with the private sector to deliver faculty's life-changing discoveries to the marketplace where they can benefit society."

The Milken Institute is a nonprofit dedicated to improving the lives and economic conditions of diverse populations around the world. The study, "Mind to Market: A Global Analysis of University Biotechnology Transfer and Commercialization," reveals that the United States dominates the top rankings on many key measures, including published research, patents issued and licensing income. It also shows the position of educational research institutions in the commercialization pipeline, which starts with the quality of research and moves to patented ideas and, finally, to commercial outcomes. The findings include:

• U.S. universities hold 8 of the top 10 positions on a measure of the quality and quantity of published biotech research. Harvard University is No. 1, followed by the University of Tokyo and University of London. The University of Minnesota is 75th.
• Nine of the top 10 universities are American when scored on the quality and quantity of biotechnology patents issued in the United States. The University of Texas system is first, followed by the University of California, San Francisco and Johns Hopkins University. The U ranks 27th.
• Based on detailed data from U.S. and Canadian universities only, the study shows that the following institutions are leaders at taking world-class biotech research and turning it into commercial applications:

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

2. University of California system

3. California Institute of Technology

4. Stanford University

5. University of Florida

6. University of Minnesota

7. Brigham Young University

8. University of British Columbia

9. University of Michigan

10. New York University

The full report and rankings are available online at Milken Institute.