OMAHA, Nebraska (June 19, 2025)—For the eighth consecutive year, the University of Nebraska system is listed among the global list of top 100 universities that have secured the most United States patents.
Nebraska ranks No. 82 with 47 listed patents for the 2024 calendar year. Among exclusively domestic institutions, Nebraska ranked No. 49.
“At the University of Nebraska, innovation is part of our DNA,” said NU President Jeffrey P. Gold, MD. “Our ability to move ideas from the lab to the marketplace is a clear measure of our impact, and this recognition reflects our sustained dedication to advancing science and ultimately improving lives. I’m grateful to our faculty, students and staff whose creativity and collaboration continue to drive discovery, economic growth and progress for our state and the world.”
The list is part of a report produced annually by the National Academy of inventors and Intellectual Property Owners Association.
H. Dele Davies, MD, interim chancellor of UNMC, said innovation was a critical factor in the university’s mission to improve the lives and health of people in Nebraska and beyond.
“This ranking demonstrates UNMC and the University of Nebraska’s commitment to fostering new ideas and seeking creative solutions that enhance the lives of our fellow Nebraskans and the people we serve,” he said. “We are especially gratefully to our faculty innovators whose dedication is translating ideas into real-world impact.”
UNeMed, the technology transfer and commercialization office for UNMC and UNO—and their UNL counterpart in Lincoln, NUTech Ventures—helped secure the patents on behalf of University inventors and their collaborators.“Being named among the Top 100 universities for securing U.S. patents is an incredible honor,” UNeMed CEO and President Michael Dixon, PhD, said. “But what truly sets us apart is impact. Seventy-two percent of our patents have been licensed for further development, showing our innovations are moving off the shelf and into the world to improve lives and drive economic growth.”
Patents help attract the interest and support of corporate partners to fund additional development and commercialization. That might include large, legacy brand names or brand-new startup companies that create area jobs, products and tax revenue for the local economy.
Among the patents UNeMed helped secure are seven related to the work of Virtual Incision, a Lincoln-based startup that grew from a cross-campus collaboration between UNMC and UNL. Virtual Incision recently gained FDA approval for its surgical robotics platform and is currently available in use on the open market.
Another UNMC patent relates to the work of Howard Gendelman, MD, and Benson Edagawa, PhD, co-founders of Exavir Therapeutics. Their patented technology relates to long-acting formulations for the treatment of HIV.
Three patents related to UNO innovations, including new anti-parasitic compounds; an NCITE-created chatbot for reporting possible terrorism threats; and a self-pacing treadmill that is the cornerstone technology behind Impower, an Omaha startup.
“At UNO, we believe in innovating with purpose for the benefit of Nebraskans,” said UNO Chancellor Joanne Li, PhD. “When we empower our brightest minds to tackle local challenges that touch lives right here at home, we can deliver solutions that resonate around the world. Each patent represents the power of pragmatic, metropolitan research.”
Additional patents UNeMed secured will protect University of Nebraska innovations related to shielding clinicians during fluoroscopic procedures; a tracking system for surgical saws used during implant procedures; and several other medical devices and discoveries.
