Top 100 patent holders, U.S. and non-U.S., universities and nonprofits only
| Rank |
U.S. and non-U.S., universities and nonprofits only |
Utility patents held |
| | Number |
| 1 |
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE |
315 |
| 2 |
BAYER AG |
154 |
| 3 |
NOVARTIS AG |
142 |
| 4 |
HOECHST JAPAN LTD. |
134 |
| 5 |
AJINOMOTO CO. INC. |
127 |
| 6 |
NOVO-NORDISK A/S |
90 |
| 7 |
BASF AG |
89 |
| 8 |
ZENECA LTD. |
89 |
| 9 |
CIBA-GEIGY AG |
85 |
| 10 |
KYOWA HAKKO KOGYO CO., LTD |
84 |
| 11 |
AKZO NOBEL BV |
82 |
| 12 |
Individual inventor(s) |
68 |
| 13 |
NESTEC, S.A. |
64 |
| 14 |
IMPERIAL CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES PLC |
62 |
| 15 |
PLANT GENETIC SYSTEMS |
62 |
| 16 |
INSTITUT NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE AGRONOMIQUE (INRA) |
53 |
| 17 |
GIST-BROCADES N.V. |
50 |
| 18 |
SANDOZ LTD. |
50 |
| 19 |
INSTITUT PASTEUR |
49 |
| 20 |
HOFFMANN-LA ROCHE INC. |
48 |
| 21 |
RHONE-POULENC S.A. |
47 |
| 22 |
BOEHRINGER MANNHEIM GMBH |
46 |
| 23 |
U.S. HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES |
46 |
| 24 |
TAKARA SHUZO CO., LTD. |
34 |
| 25 |
UNIVERSITY OF SASKATCHEWAN |
32 |
| 26 |
JAPAN MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES |
31 |
| 27 |
COMMONWEALTH SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH ORG. (CSIRO) |
30 |
| 28 |
UNILEVER PATENT HOLDINGS B.V. |
30 |
| 29 |
HAYASHIBARA SEIBUTSU KAGAKU KENKYUJO K. K. |
29 |
| 30 |
SUMITOMO CHEMICAL CO., LTD. |
27 |
| 31 |
CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE |
26 |
| 32 |
HITACHI CHEMICAL CO., LTD. |
26 |
| 33 |
INSTITUT MERIEUX |
25 |
| 34 |
JAPAN TOBACCO INC. |
25 |
| 35 |
KIRIN BREWERY CO., LTD. |
24 |
| 36 |
MAX-PLANCK INSTITUT |
24 |
| 37 |
MOGEN INTERNATIONAL N.V. |
24 |
| 38 |
SCHERING AG |
24 |
| 39 |
MITSUBISHI CHEMICAL CORP. |
22 |
| 40 |
CANADIAN DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND AGRI-FOOD |
21 |
| 41 |
AGRICULTURAL GENETICS CO., LTD. |
19 |
| 42 |
TOYO BOSEKI K. K. |
19 |
| 43 |
UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH |
19 |
| 44 |
CANADA NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL |
17 |
| 45 |
MEIJI SEIKA KAISHA LTD. |
17 |
| 46 |
SEMINIS VEGETABLE SEEDS, INC. |
17 |
| 47 |
YISSUM RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT CO., HEBREW UNIVERSITY OF JERUSALEM |
17 |
| 48 |
BEHRINGWERKE AG |
16 |
| 49 |
HENKEL & CIE GMBH |
16 |
| 50 |
NATIONAL RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT CORP. (UK) |
16 |
| 51 |
AGENCY OF INDUSTRIAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY |
15 |
| 52 |
NISSAN CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES, LTD. |
15 |
| 53 |
SAPPORO BREWERIES LTD. |
15 |
| 54 |
SUNTORY LTD. |
15 |
| 55 |
TAKEDA CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES, LTD. |
15 |
| 56 |
UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA |
15 |
| 57 |
MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL LTD. |
14 |
| 58 |
NIPPON ZEON CO., LTD. |
14 |
| 59 |
QUEST INTERNATIONAL FLAVORS AND FOOD INGREDIENTS CO. |
14 |
| 60 |
AFFYMAX TECHNOLOGIES N.V. |
13 |
| 61 |
MCGILL UNIVERSITY |
13 |
| 62 |
INSTITUT NATIONAL DE LA SANTE ET DE LA RECHERCHE MEDICALE |
12 |
| 63 |
RHONE-POULENC RORER, S.A. |
12 |
| 64 |
DEGUSSA AG |
11 |
| 65 |
MITSUI TOATSU CHEMICALS INC. |
11 |
| 66 |
ROUSSEL-UCLAF |
11 |
| 67 |
TRANSGENE S.A. |
11 |
| 68 |
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY |
11 |
| 69 |
AMERSHAM INTERNATIONAL LTD. |
10 |
| 70 |
PHARMING B.V. |
10 |
| 71 |
QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY |
10 |
| 72 |
SHIMADZU CORP. |
10 |
| 73 |
SHIN-ETSU BIO, INC. |
10 |
| 74 |
SHIN-ETSU CHEMICAL CO., LTD. |
10 |
| 75 |
U.S. OF AMERICA GOVERNMENT |
10 |
| 76 |
VISIBLE GENETICS INC. |
10 |
| 77 |
FRANCE COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE |
9 |
| 78 |
RIJKSUNIVERSITEIT LEIDEN |
9 |
| 79 |
ZENCO LTD. |
9 |
| 80 |
CANADIAN NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL AND FORESTRY |
8 |
| 81 |
CANADIAN PATENTS AND DEVELOPMENT LTD. |
8 |
| 82 |
CANON KK |
8 |
| 83 |
CHEMO-SERO-THERAPEUTIC RESEARCH INST. |
8 |
| 84 |
CLARIANT FINANCE LTD. |
8 |
| 85 |
DAIKIN INDUSTRIES LIMITED |
8 |
| 86 |
INST. OF PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL RESEARCH (SAITAMA) |
8 |
| 87 |
INTERNATIONAL FLOWER DEVELOPMENTS PTY., LTD. |
8 |
| 88 |
KIKKOMAN CORP. |
8 |
| 89 |
NATIONAL SCIENCE COUNSIL OF R.O.C. |
8 |
| 90 |
NOVO NORDISK BIOTECH, INC. |
8 |
| 91 |
PUBLIC HEALTH RESEARCH INST. OF NYC |
8 |
| 92 |
SAGAMI CHEMICAL RESEARCH CENTER |
8 |
| 93 |
SHIONOGI AND CO., LTD. |
8 |
| 94 |
UNIVERSITE DE MONTREAL |
8 |
| 95 |
YEDA RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CO., LTD. |
8 |
| 96 |
AMANO PHARMACEUTICAL CO., LTD |
7 |
| 97 |
BIOTECH AUSTRALIA PTY. LTD. AND CSIRO |
7 |
| 98 |
KAO CORP. |
7 |
| 99 |
KUMIAI CHEMICAL INDUSTRY CO., LTD. |
7 |
| 100 |
RIKAGAKU KENKYUSHO |
7 |
| Note: Patent assignees and subsequent determinations of locations are based on USPTO assignee data, which might be missing, incomplete, or indicate multiple assignees per patent. Multiple spellings or abbreviations have been consolidated to a single assignee identification. |