The Baylor Lab to Market (L2M) collaborative is the key mechanism of stewardship for the University’s intellectual property produced by faculty research. The Lab to Market Collaborative is a unity of effort throughout and beyond the Baylor campus, bridging the Office of the Vice Provost for Research (Technology Commercialization and Industry Engagement Division), Hankamer School of Business, Office of General Counsel, our capital partner and faculty/students throughout the University. This alignment provides support and resources for Baylor faculty to navigate funding, intellectual property protection, prototyping and more toward a tangible goal — the translation of their research ideas into real-world products with societal impact.
- 113 Patents: Baylor was recognized in 2022 in the top 100 universities globally for utility patents by the National Academy of Inventors and Intellectual Property Owners Association.
- 4 Companies: L2M has launched four high-tech startup companies since 2020.
- 15+ Million: Over 15 million dollars in research funding has been generated through L2M and industry engagement since 2020.
Additionally, Lab to Market has received a $1.5 million grant that includes support for prototyping efforts by the U.S. Department of Commerce.
The L2M collaborative generates funding for research from various sources targeting commercialization and industry partnerships. An important component of the L2M initiative is the funding re-invested by Baylor high-tech startup companies in university research which grew from $838,000 in 2020 to $3.5 million in 2022.
Baylor University was listed in the Top 100 Worldwide Universities Granted U.S. Utility Patents in a 2021 report released in September 2022 by the National Academy of Inventors and the Intellectual Property Owners Association. The report utilized data obtained from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and highlights the vital role patents play in university research and innovation.
Published annually since 2013, the report ranks the top 100 universities named as the first assignee on utility patents granted by the USPTO. Baylor was ranked for the first time in 2021, and is among only three Texas universities and an additional 59 prestigious U.S. research universities and 38 international research institutions included in the report.
Through the Office of the Vice Provost for Research, the Technology Commercialization and Industry Engagement division, which includes the Lab to Market Collaborative, assists Baylor faculty by assessing, protecting and commercializing their inventions and innovations that solve real world problems and provide a tangible benefit to society.