Higher education driving innovation

In terms of the filing of international patents, 2021 was a record-breaking year, with higher education playing a significant role in driving innovation and expanding intellectual property (IP). According to the UN World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), 277,500 international patents were filed in 2021, a 0.9% increase from 2020 and representing the 12th consecutive year of growth. Revealingly, the largest share of patents was in the field of computer technology, at 9.9%, followed by digital communications and medical technology.

China was once again the world’s top filer, having overtaken the US in 2019. Other emerging economies that performed well were Saudi Arabia, coming in at 25th overall, Brazil (27th), South Africa (35th), Chile (36th), Mexico (37th) and Thailand (38th).

Higher Education & Patents

One measure of how institutions of higher education contribute to a country’s efforts in the fields of research and innovation is the number of patents filed. Universities in emerging economies have traditionally generated fewer patents than those in mature economies, due to factors ranging from lower levels of public funding to limited collaboration between industry and academia. However, some markets that scored highly in the WIPO rankings have taken steps to develop a dynamic and innovative higher education ecosystem. Universities have an important role to play in developing a culture in which IP is both developed and protected, which contributes to broader national goals of advancing the economy and developing high-value industries.

For example, Thailand’s Chulalongkorn University Intellectual Property Institute – founded in 1996 – is responsible for protecting the IP of researchers at the university, as well as national and international patent and copyright registration. The institute also supports the application of research in industrial and social contexts, serving as an interface between academia and society as a whole. Thailand came 43rd in the Global Innovation Index 2021, making it one of the highest-placed emerging markets. While its success in this regard is not due solely to its dynamic higher education IP ecosystem, the report accompanying the index highlighted the value created by the country’s competitive “knowledge and technology outputs”.

Private Sector Collaboration

Saudi Arabia’s King Abdulaziz University, with 187 patents, was ranked fourth overall in the list for 2021 of the Top 100 Worldwide Universities Granted US Utility Patents, a ranking published annually by the National Academy of Inventors, a US-based non-profit. King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, with 91 patents, was 25th in 2021 after finishing 14th in 2020. These rankings reflect how closely the Kingdom’s institutions of higher education work with industry on IP-related issues.

Universities in Kuwait are working to improve the process for filing patents. Kuwait University launched a fast-track service in August 2022 to review patent applications that could trim the time needed to register a patent from three years to one. The university, in cooperation with the US Patent and Trademark Office, launched the service to simplify the process and encourage researchers to file more patents.

As part of its strategic plan for 2018-22, Kuwait University aims to raise awareness about patents and increase the number of patents registered by the university, which stood at 49 as of 2019. On the national level, the new procedure should make the patent application process easier for local researchers, support broader efforts to encourage a dynamic research ecosystem and provide a foundation for innovation. “Kuwait’s research and development (R&D) ecosystem is evolving, although there is still much to do given the nature of Kuwait’s economy and its diversification efforts,” said Khalid Al Begain, president of the Kuwait College of Science and Technology. “Academic institutions have a crucial responsibility to facilitate R&D activities in the country, which can be further accelerated with more public and private funding options.”