The Georgia Institute of Technology has joined prestigious research universities in the top 10 of the 2009 "Patent Scorecard," which ranks technology innovations generated from patents. With a 36 percent increase in patent activity during the past year, Georgia Tech jumped from 11th to 8th place, with a focus on semiconductors and electronics, according to the report.

"The great news is that Georgia Tech had the third highest 'impact score,' which measures the extent to which our patents are being built upon," said Jilda Garton, Georgia Tech's associate vice provost for research. "We are also proud of the fact that Georgia Tech which reports as a single entity compares favorably with university systems such as the California University System."

According to the Patent Board, the 2009 Universities Patent Scorecard represents the universities and university-based laboratories from around the world involved in patenting their research in all disciplines within the United States. The report ranks 124 of the top universities according to the relative strengths of their patent portfolios.