Reposted from the Technology Licensing Office.
The University of Utah ranks among the top-10 U.S. universities in several key research commercialization measures, based on data from the Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM) 2025 Annual Survey.
Research commercialization moves discoveries beyond the lab and into the world through products, treatments, services, licenses and startup companies. The U's performance is especially notable because it is achieving results comparable to larger research institutions while operating with a smaller research expenditure base, valued at $817 million in 2025, a sign of the strength and efficiency of Utah's innovation ecosystem.
According to AUTM's data, the U placed among the nation's leading universities in five key measures for 2025:
- No. 5 in invention disclosures, 531: New discoveries submitted by faculty, researchers, and students for potential protection or commercialization.
- No. 5 in licenses executed, 273: Agreements that allow external partners to use or commercialize university-developed technologies.
- No. 4 in copyright licenses, 141: Licenses covering software, data, educational materials, creative works, and other tangible property.
- No. 9 in gross license income, $55.3 million: Revenue from licensing activity, including royalties and equity-related returns.
- No. 3 in new licensed technologies, 33: Technologies licensed to external partners for the first time.
For invention disclosures, the U was not that far behind the leader Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which filed 684 disclosures on a research footprint worth $2.4 billion, or three times that of Utah's.
A growing pipeline, built for impact
The survey results highlight both the U's current performance and its potential for continued growth. The university's research enterprise is expanding, creating a larger pipeline of discoveries with the potential to reach the marketplace and benefit the public. As research activity grows, it can generate more ideas, invention disclosures, partnerships, licenses and startups-strengthening the U's ability to shape industries and improve lives.
"These benchmarks reflect the strength of the University of Utah's innovation ecosystem and the faculty, researchers and partners who help move discoveries toward real-world impact," said Jason Young, senior director of commercialization.
The U has also recently been named among the top 100 universities globally for U.S. utility patents, No. 1 for producing unicorn founders, and recognized as one of the nation's top universities for biomedical innovation. Together, these distinctions reflect growing momentum across the university's innovation pipeline.
Additionally, the U launched six new startup companies in 2025 seeking to commercialize technologies developed on campus. Here are some recent examples:
• Propelling clean energy: Geothermal Strategy Partners helps developers plan and build next-generation geothermal projects.
- Helping bones heal: The CoAptix S system keeps steady pressure on healing bones, helping reduce complications and support recovery.
- Cutting electronic waste: EnduraCure is developing flexible electronics materials that can be broken down so valuable parts can be recovered instead of discarded.
- Improving EV charging: Grid Elevated's IntelliCharge platform uses AI to balance charging demand, helping make EV infrastructure more reliable, efficient, and scalable.
- Fighting brain cancer: CaLycia Bioscience is developing engineered immune-cell therapies designed to target aggressive brain and spine cancers from within.
What the results mean for Utah
For faculty and researchers, the results point to more opportunities to translate discoveries into practical applications. For industry partners and investors, they signal access to a strong environment for bringing research discoveries to market. For the state, they demonstrate the University of Utah's growing role in building Utah's innovation economy.
As the U's research enterprise expands, so does its capacity to turn discovery into public benefit, economic growth, and solutions to pressing challenges. The 2025 AUTM survey results show that the university's commercialization efforts are already performing at a national level-and are positioned to make an even greater impact in the years ahead.
Banner photo: Sameer Rao, a U associate professor of mechanical engineering, is commercializing technology he developed with his graduate students that can harvest water from the atmosphere. Credit: Dan Hixson, College of Engineering.
