The University of Florida is the top-performing public institution at transferring its research to the marketplace, according to a major new study by the prestigious Milken Institute.

In a report by the California-based economic think tank titled Mind to Market: A Global Analysis of University Biotechnology Transfer and Commercialization, UF ranked fifth on the institute’s University Technology Transfer and Commercialization Index. Only the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the nine universities of the California system, the California Institute of Technology and Stanford scored higher than UF on the index, which measured four components of technology transfer: patents issued, licenses executed, licensing income and startups.

Milken Institute researchers compared university technology transfer processes around the world; studied the common characteristics to successful commercialization; and measured the role of the university offices of technology transfer, or OTT.

David Day, director of UF’s Office of Technology Licensing, said the university made a commitment about six years ago to expand its commercialization efforts.

“Now we have the people and resources necessary to identify promising technologies, pursue patents and negotiate fair licenses,” Day said. “We’ve also worked hard to nurture our startups so they can develop their products and become financially successful.”

David Day, dlday@research.ufl.edu

Joseph Kays