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The top patent earner in each state last year

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May 25, 2023
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This story originally appeared on ClickUp and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.

The top patent earner in each state last year

Tech and engineering firms were the most inventive patent winners across the U.S. last year—a year marked by growing tension with foreign nations racing to bring world-changing tech like artificial intelligence and space satellites to market.

Nearly 160,000 patents were assigned across the U.S. in 2022, according to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. When a patent is awarded through the USPTO, the individual or company that it's given to has the license to a temporary monopoly on business for that specific product or service. Companies have used patent law for decades to defend their intellectual property including designs and devices against competitors that might attempt to profit off of stolen ideas.

ClickUp used data from the Patent and Trademark Office to find the top patent earner in each state based on the number of patents assigned in fiscal year 2022, which ran from Oct. 1, 2021, through Sept. 30, 2022, for the patent office.

The data looks at the assignees for both regular utility and design patents and was limited to assignees that received at least 10 patents within the year. There were no assignees that met these criteria in Alaska, Hawaii, Maine, Mississippi, or West Virginia.

Private spending on research and development by U.S. companies has skyrocketed since the economic downturn of the late 2000s. In 2020, it was estimated to total $531 billion, according to the latest available data from the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics.

In 2022, nine colleges and universities rose to the top in their respective states for patent filing, including the prestigious Johns Hopkins University in Maryland. The vast majority of top patent earners last year were private organizations.

Read on to see who scooped up the rights to the most cutting-edge tech in your state last year.

University of Alabama building.
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University of College // Shutterstock

Alabama

- Top patent earner: The Board of Trustees of the University of Alabama
- Patents issued, 2022: 29 (53.7% of all patents statewide)
- Unique patent assignees statewide, 2022: 3

The University of Alabama earns the majority of patents in the state, according to USPTO data. In 2022 the university patents included technology for a method to convert a traditional lawn mower into an automated one.

Entrance sign to the campus of Arizona State University.
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Ken Wolter // Shutterstock

Arizona

- Top patent earner: Arizona Board of Regents for and on behalf of Arizona State University
- Patents issued, 2022: 179 (26.7% of all patents statewide)
- Unique patent assignees statewide, 2022: 15

The Arizona Board of Regents earned patents in 2022 for a number of biological and technological breakthroughs, one of which is described as a "skin-like condom" that contains active ingredients for stimulating male and female arousal.

View of the Walmart Home Office corporate headquarters located in Bentonville, Arkansas.
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EQRoy // Shutterstock

Arkansas

- Top patent earner: Walmart Apollo LLC
- Patents issued, 2022: 169 (93.9% of all patents statewide)
- Unique patent assignees statewide, 2022: 2

Bentonville-headquartered Walmart operates an intellectual property-focused LLC called Walmart Apollo, which has sued competitors in the past, including Kanye West, to protect Walmart property. In 2022 it earned patents centering around automated warehouse management and machine learning.

Qualcomm logo is seen at its headquarters in San Diego, California.
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Tada Images // Shutterstock

California

- Top patent earner: Qualcomm Technologies Inc.
- Patents issued, 2022: 2267 (10.1% of all patents statewide)
- Unique patent assignees statewide, 2022: 299

Qualcomm earned patents in 2022 for technology that could recognize activities taking place in videos, and for annotating images of hands to better train machine learning algorithms. Early artificial intelligence models are notoriously inept at visualizing hands.

A DISH HD Network satellite TV receiver mounted on a residential home roof.
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Around the World Photos // Shutterstock

Colorado

- Top patent earner: Dish Network Corp.
- Patents issued, 2022: 106 (15.3% of all patents statewide)
- Unique patent assignees statewide, 2022: 28

Dish Network Corp. earned patents in 2022 for technologies to automate parts of the video editing process and methods for using voice to control media devices.

Raytheon Technologies exhibitor pavilion.
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Arnold O. A. Pinto // Shutterstock

Connecticut

- Top patent earner: Raytheon Technologies Corp.
- Patents issued, 2022: 379 (35.2% of all patents statewide)
- Unique patent assignees statewide, 2022: 23

Defense contractor Raytheon has earned patents for manufacturing aircraft parts including engines as well as onboard vehicle data systems. The contractor designs and builds aircraft and aerospace equipment for commercial and military use.

Combine harvester on a wheat field.
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Scharfsinn // Shutterstock

Delaware

- Top patent earner: Blue Leaf
- Patents issued, 2022: 258 (29.9% of all patents statewide)
- Unique patent assignees statewide, 2022: 18

Agricultural equipment manufacturer CNH Industrial America was granted a number of patents by the USPTO in 2022 which it transferred to a firm named Blue Leaf I.P. These patents include tech for augers, balers, and other agricultural machinery.

Attendee uses augmented reality (AR) glasses in a simulation at a Magic Leap booth.
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David Becker // Getty Images

Florida

- Top patent earner: Magic Leap Inc.
- Patents issued, 2022: 275 (21.5% of all patents statewide)
- Unique patent assignees statewide, 2022: 31

Founded in 2010, Magic Leap is a company developing augmented reality technology, which overlays digital content onto the real world. In 2022 it earned patents for mixed reality systems that can display 3D content in real-time.

AT&T sign and logo on the building in Atlanta, Georgia.
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JHVEPhoto // Shutterstock

Georgia

- Top patent earner: AT&T
- Patents issued, 2022: 527 (37.3% of all patents statewide)
- Unique patent assignees statewide, 2022: 29

Telecom giant AT&T is one of the most prolific patent earners in the nation. It earned patents in 2022 for edge computing and for automated assistants that are capable of delegating tasks dictated by the user.

Micron Technology building in Boise.
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Charles Knowles // Shutterstock

Idaho

- Top patent earner: Micron Technology Inc.
- Patents issued, 2022: 1097 (97.6% of all patents statewide)
- Unique patent assignees statewide, 2022: 3

Micron was issued patents at a rate of more than three per day in 2022. They include patents for technologies connected to semiconductor chips and other computer processing devices.

The Boeing Company sign on the wall at its headquarters in Chicago.
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JHVEPhoto // Shutterstock

Illinois

- Top patent earner: The Boeing Co.
- Patents issued, 2022: 544 (19.4% of all patents statewide)
- Unique patent assignees statewide, 2022: 48

Aerospace manufacturer Boeing obtained patents in 2022 for radar imaging system capabilities and improvements for aircraft parts like a noise-reducing landing gear technology.

Purdue Technology Center sign.
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Jonathan Weiss // Shutterstock

Indiana

- Top patent earner: Purdue Research Foundation
- Patents issued, 2022: 151 (14.6% of all patents statewide)
- Unique patent assignees statewide, 2022: 21

Purdue Research Foundation earned patents for tech involved in glaucoma therapy and virtual reality. The foundation operates as the research arm of Purdue University.

Pioneer seed sign and trademark logo in field of corn.
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Ken Wolter // Shutterstock

Iowa

- Top patent earner: Pioneer Hi-Bred International Inc.
- Patents issued, 2022: 174 (34.2% of all patents statewide)
- Unique patent assignees statewide, 2022: 7

Pioneer is a DuPont-affiliated, U.S.-based producer of genetically modified organisms used in agriculture. In 2022 the firm earned patents for novel insecticides, methods for identifying and creating rot-resistant crops, and novel breeds of corn crops.

Sign for T-Mobile on outside of building.
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Kansas

- Top patent earner: T-Mobile Innovations LLC
- Patents issued, 2022: 79 (36.7% of all patents statewide)
- Unique patent assignees statewide, 2022: 8

In Kansas, T-Mobile has earned patents for new technologies that could apply to its 5G cell network and device security.

Lexmark ink cartridges in a box.
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Kentucky

- Top patent earner: Lexmark International Inc.
- Patents issued, 2022: 23 (29.1% of all patents statewide)
- Unique patent assignees statewide, 2022: 5

Lexmark, a major producer of printer equipment, tops the list of patent earners in this state. The company earned patents for imaging technology and toner cartridges.

LSU (Louisiana State University) golden letters on a sign.
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University of College // Shutterstock

Louisiana

- Top patent earner: Board of Supervisors of Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College
- Patents issued, 2022: 16 (100.0% of all patents statewide)
- Unique patent assignees statewide, 2022: 1

Louisiana State University earned patents in 2022 for waterproof, self-powered lighting systems for plant life and methods for treating pain in patients.

Johns Hopkins University sign, entrance with American flag.
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Kristi Blokhin // Shutterstock

Maryland

- Top patent earner: The Johns Hopkins University
- Patents issued, 2022: 111 (22.2% of all patents statewide)
- Unique patent assignees statewide, 2022: 14

The world-famous Johns Hopkins University spent 2022 earning patents for tech to assist with treating brain injuries and a cardiac defibrillator that is compatible with MRI machines.

Dell EMC logo, sign on computer data storage company office.
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Massachusetts

- Top patent earner: EMC IP Holding Company LLC
- Patents issued, 2022: 734 (19.2% of all patents statewide)
- Unique patent assignees statewide, 2022: 75

Commercial electronics firm EMC IP earned patents in 2022 for processes that automate data recovery following a ransomware attack as well as tech that combines the computing of multiple devices to complete a single, joint activity. The firm is the intellectual property arm of multinational tech company Dell.

The Ford Motor Company World Headquarters building located in Dearborn.
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Michigan

- Top patent earner: Ford Motor Co.
- Patents issued, 2022: 815 (26.8% of all patents statewide)
- Unique patent assignees statewide, 2022: 39

Ford and other American automakers have spent recent years developing their own proprietary technologies related to electric vehicles. Henry Ford's namesake was earning patents surrounding fuel cell assembly and other aspects of electrified mobility in 2022.

The 3M World Headquarters complex.
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Katherine Welles // Shutterstock

Minnesota

- Top patent earner: 3M Innovative Properties Co.
- Patents issued, 2022: 410 (23.1% of all patents statewide)
- Unique patent assignees statewide, 2022: 32

Minnesota-based 3M is the company behind a number of plastic-based products used every day in American homes. In 2022 it earned patents for pads to compress sore joints and even a device that recognizes gunshots and electronically protects users' ears from damaging sound levels.

Monsanto sign at entrance to global research headquarters.
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Amy Kerkemeyer // Shutterstock

Missouri

- Top patent earner: Monsanto Technology LLC
- Patents issued, 2022: 298 (49.7% of all patents statewide)
- Unique patent assignees statewide, 2022: 10

Genetically modified crop producer and pesticide manufacturer Monsanto was assigned patents for new varieties of soybean crops and methods for controlling insect infestations in plants.

Snowflake symbol and logo at the company corporate headquarters.
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Sundry Photography // Shutterstock

Montana

- Top patent earner: Snowflake Inc.
- Patents issued, 2022: 104 (100.0% of all patents statewide)
- Unique patent assignees statewide, 2022: 1

Cloud provider Snowflake earned patents in 2022 for real-time streaming of data and ways to secure shared machine learning in databases in the cloud.

Nebraska university logo on campus building.
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University of College // Shutterstock

Nebraska

- Top patent earner: Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska
- Patents issued, 2022: 25 (32.5% of all patents statewide)
- Unique patent assignees statewide, 2022: 5

At the University of Nebraska, researchers earned patents for tech advancements related to assessing diabetes risk, gene therapies, and tamper-proof medicine containers.

Rows of Casino Slot Machines.
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Virrage Images // Shutterstock

Nevada

- Top patent earner: IGT
- Patents issued, 2022: 69 (38.8% of all patents statewide)
- Unique patent assignees statewide, 2022: 5

IGT is a provider of technology to casinos and establishments operating in the gambling industry. In the past, the company has patented tech surrounding cashless betting and slot machines.

Segway on green grass.
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Vodopyanov Vyacheslav // Shutterstock

New Hampshire

- Top patent earner: DEKA Products LP
- Patents issued, 2022: 79 (25.0% of all patents statewide)
- Unique patent assignees statewide, 2022: 10

DEKA works in robotics and device manufacturing for those with disabilities and other health conditions as well as products like Segway and the Coca-Cola Freestyle drink machines. In 2022 it earned patents for object tracking via RFID systems as well as technology for dispensing products from a machine.

Honeywell headquarters in New Jersey.
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JHVEPhoto // Shutterstock

New Jersey

- Top patent earner: Honeywell International Inc.
- Patents issued, 2022: 324 (20.7% of all patents statewide)
- Unique patent assignees statewide, 2022: 31

Honeywell is an engineering firm that operates in aerospace, materials, and productivity solutions. The firm has patented tech in 2022 that uses augmented reality for installing devices.

Tiny robot at Department of Energy's Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, NM.
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Randy Montoya // Getty Images

New Mexico

- Top patent earner: National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia LLC
- Patents issued, 2022: 76 (59.8% of all patents statewide)
- Unique patent assignees statewide, 2022: 3

National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia is an arm of the Sandia National Laboratories—an entity that operates as part of the country's federal nuclear science program. It earned patents in 2022 for real-time tracking of pathogens and tech related to controlled explosives.

The IBM logo on the IBM Building at 590 Madison Avenue.
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Molly Woodward // Shutterstock

New York

- Top patent earner: International Business Machines Corp.
- Patents issued, 2022: 2512 (47.0% of all patents statewide)
- Unique patent assignees statewide, 2022: 66

Better known as IBM, the New York-based company is assigned a gargantuan volume of patents each year. In 2022 it earned patents for data center storage methods and advancements applied to blockchain technology, among other things.

The logo of Bank of America in modern office building.
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Tero Vesalainen // Shutterstock

North Carolina

- Top patent earner: Bank of America Corp.
- Patents issued, 2022: 294 (18.1% of all patents statewide)
- Unique patent assignees statewide, 2022: 33

Bank of America earned patents in 2022 for machine learning applications within banking, including for recognizing and analyzing documents, among other advances.

First-person view of tractor streering wheel.
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Scharfsinn // Shutterstock

North Dakota

- Top patent earner: Clark Equipment Co.
- Patents issued, 2022: 16 (100.0% of all patents statewide)
- Unique patent assignees statewide, 2022: 1

Clark Equipment is a storied manufacturing firm that operates in the agricultural and construction equipment industries. It patented tech for fuel valves and steering mechanisms in commercial tractors.

Procter & Gamble Corporate Headquarters.
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Jonathan Weiss // Shutterstock

Ohio

- Top patent earner: The Procter & Gamble Co.
- Patents issued, 2022: 296 (22.2% of all patents statewide)
- Unique patent assignees statewide, 2022: 40

Hygiene product maker Procter & Gamble patented new tech related to toilet paper products and liquid cleaning detergents.

OSU Lettering on brick column on the Oklahoma State University Campus.
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Chad Robertson Media // Shutterstock

Oklahoma

- Top patent earner: The Board of Regents for Oklahoma State University
- Patents issued, 2022: 19 (63.3% of all patents statewide)
- Unique patent assignees statewide, 2022: 2

There are not many patent filers in the state of Oklahoma, but the Stillwater-based state university earned the most in 2022. Those patents included tech for visualizing body tissues for surgeries as well as for vaccines.

Corporate office buildings at Nike World Headquarters.
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Tada Images // Shutterstock

Oregon

- Top patent earner: Nike Inc.
- Patents issued, 2022: 894 (83.8% of all patents statewide)
- Unique patent assignees statewide, 2022: 10

Athletic-wear brand Nike patents each of its shoe designs with the USPTO to stave off competition duplicating its designs. Despite the designer's passing in 2021, the firm is still receiving patents for shoes attributed to Virgil Abloh as recently as 2022.

Branch sign for Comcast Cable.
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Joshua Rainey Photography // Shutterstock

Pennsylvania

- Top patent earner: Comcast Cable Communications
- Patents issued, 2022: 297 (24.0% of all patents statewide)
- Unique patent assignees statewide, 2022: 34

Comcast earned patents last year for tech to process data across wireless communications and video compression methods. Comcast is a cable television provider as well as the owner of NBC Universal.

An upward view of the exterior of the Textron World Headquarters building.
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Wirestock Creators // Shutterstock

Rhode Island

- Top patent earner: Textron Inc.
- Patents issued, 2022: 191 (82.7% of all patents statewide)
- Unique patent assignees statewide, 2022: 4

Textron is a manufacturing firm making defense and aerospace products. Its portfolio companies include Bell Helicopter. It obtained patents in 2022 related to aircraft rotors and other technologies.

Kyocera International headquarters sign.
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JHVEPhoto // Shutterstock

South Carolina

- Top patent earner: Kyocera Corp.
- Patents issued, 2022: 35 (23.8% of all patents statewide)
- Unique patent assignees statewide, 2022: 8

Electronics manufacturer Kyocera won patents in 2022 for semiconductor, RFID, and sleep-tracking technologies.

View of University of South Dakota Sioux Falls.
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Ken Wolter // Shutterstock

South Dakota

- Top patent earner: South Dakota Board of Regents
- Patents issued, 2022: 10 (100.0% of all patents statewide)
- Unique patent assignees statewide, 2022: 1

The South Dakota Board of Regents governs the University of South Dakota and other colleges and universities in the state. It won patents last year for technologies related to battery performance and nanoparticles.

Smith & Nephew company logo sign.
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Peter_Fleming // Shutterstock

Tennessee

- Top patent earner: Smith & Nephew Inc.
- Patents issued, 2022: 73 (21.9% of all patents statewide)
- Unique patent assignees statewide, 2022: 10

Medical technology firm Smith & Nephew patented technology in 2022 for medical implants and a device for closing wounds.

Closeup of Hewlett-Packard Enterprise ground sign at their office building.
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JHVEPhoto // Shutterstock

Texas

- Top patent earner: Hewlett-Packard Development
- Patents issued, 2022: 1558 (25.4% of all patents statewide)
- Unique patent assignees statewide, 2022: 71

Hewlett-Packard's research arm patented tech related to 3D printing, a self-cooling headset, and tools for identifying malware.

The University of Utah entrance sign.
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Chad Robertson Media // Shutterstock

Utah

- Top patent earner: University of Utah Research Foundation
- Patents issued, 2022: 38 (19.7% of all patents statewide)
- Unique patent assignees statewide, 2022: 11

The University of Utah Research Foundation won patents in 2022 for bone implant technology and a magnet-propelled "soft" robot capable of traveling through the human body.

An all-electric aircraft in flight.
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Andreas Zeitler // Shutterstock

Vermont

- Top patent earner: Beta Technologies
- Patents issued, 2022: 62 (100.0% of all patents statewide)
- Unique patent assignees statewide, 2022: 1

Beta Technologies is an aerospace engineering company whose patents relate to various aspects of charging and managing power in electric-driven aircraft.

Capital One sign on headquarters building.
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DCStockPhotography // Shutterstock

Virginia

- Top patent earner: Capital One Services LLC
- Patents issued, 2022: 379 (29.7% of all patents statewide)
- Unique patent assignees statewide, 2022: 26

Commercial banking provider Capital One won patents for contactless card recognition tech and methods for "secure sharing of customer intelligence."

Microsoft sign at the headquarters.
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VDB Photos // Shutterstock

Washington

- Top patent earner: Microsoft Corp.
- Patents issued, 2022: 1238 (39.9% of all patents statewide)
- Unique patent assignees statewide, 2022: 18

Tech giant Microsoft beat out Amazon for patents earned in Washington state in 2022. It won patents on cloud computing and computer displays.

NASA sign in front of headquarters building.
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DCStockPhotography // Shutterstock

Washington D.C.

- Top patent earner: NASA
- Patents issued, 2022: 43 (21.5% of all patents statewide)
- Unique patent assignees statewide, 2022: 8

NASA rises to the top in the nation's capital in terms of patents earned last year. In 2022 it patented tech for satellite platforms, UV ray sensors, and other space equipment.

Sign of Johnson Controls on the building.
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JHVEPhoto // Shutterstock

Wisconsin

- Top patent earner: Johnson Controls
- Patents issued, 2022: 265 (23.7% of all patents statewide)
- Unique patent assignees statewide, 2022: 20

Johnson Controls is a manufacturer of heating, ventilation, and cooling systems for commercial and residential customers. In 2022, the company patented tech for air ducts.

University of Wyoming campus entrance sign.
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Jillian Cain Photography // Shutterstock

Wyoming

- Top patent earner: University of Wyoming
- Patents issued, 2022: 10 (100.0% of all patents statewide)
- Unique patent assignees statewide, 2022: 1

The University of Wyoming patented technology for hydroponic plant production and nanoparticle delivery systems for pain therapies that leverage magnets.

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