Productivity Highlights
Key Performance Indicators: 2020–2024
The figures below, reported by fiscal years, demonstrate the productivity of Harvard's Office of Technology Development over the last five years.
| FY20 | FY21 | FY22 | FY23 | FY24 | |
| New Innovations | 443 | 383 | 376 | 406 | 402 |
| New Patent Applications Filed | 208 | 180 | 185 | 194 | 170 |
| U.S. Patents Issued | 178 | 193 | 191 | 180 | 155 |
| Major License Agreements | 45 | 44 | 47 | 45 | 36 |
| Commercialization Revenue (MM) | $58.7 | $106.0 | $152.1 | $58.9 | $107.0 |
| Startup Companies | 14 | 27 | 23 | 18 | 14 |
| Corporate Research Partnerships | 72 | 93 | 95 | 82 | 52 |
| Corporate Research Funding (MM) | $50.3 | $64.7 | $85.2 | $62.9 | $36.4 |
The Harvard University fiscal year runs from July 1 to June 30; hence, Fiscal Year 2024 includes July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2024.
Beyond the numbers
We owe our track record of success to a clear set of values and commitments that guide our activities.
Definitions of Performance Indicators
New Innovations: The number of discoveries (Reports of Invention, ROIs) submitted by Harvard Principal Investigators (PIs) to the Office of Technology Development (OTD) for analysis and evaluation. For each ROI, OTD addresses two key criteria: patentability and commercial potential.
New Patent Applications Filed: The number of priority patent applications filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) (includes any U.S. or PCT application that is the first filing on an invention).
U.S. Patents Issued: The number of patent applications that have gone through the complete prosecution process and have issued as a U.S. Patent by the USPTO.
Major License Agreements: The number of royalty-bearing licenses, both exclusive and non-exclusive, executed within the fiscal year for intellectual property. This figure does not include material licensing agreements or options.
Commercialization Revenue: The total amount of revenues (royalties, fees, and liquidation of equity) received within the current fiscal year (in USD millions).
Startup Companies: The number of new or startup companies launched around a technology developed at Harvard University, and/or in which Harvard holds an equity position.
Corporate Research Partnerships: The number of agreements with industrial sponsors that provide funding for research projects being performed at Harvard University and led by a Harvard PI.
Corporate Research Funding: The total amount of funding obligated by industrial sponsors for research projects to be performed at Harvard and led by a Harvard PI (in USD millions).