By the Numbers
Success Through Partnerships
Launched in 2015, Invent Penn State spurs economic development, job creation, and student career success by blending entrepreneurship-focused academic programs, business startup training and incubation, funding for commercialization, and university/community/industry collaborations that facilitate the process of turning research discoveries into valuable products and services. Below you can find research, tech transfer, industry partnerships, and innovation hub network activity and outcomes data from the start of the initiative through 2020.
*Two types of startup activity are reflected below–research-based tech transfer and community innovation hub activity

Interdisciplinary Research Prowess
Penn State’s longstanding investment in its interdisciplinary research institutes has created a University-wide culture of collaboration that differentiates Penn State’s research enterprise from its peers and enables us to address our world’s most difficult challenges.
*Research expenditures reported on a fiscal year basis, July-June

2015-16 | $836M |
2016-17 | $863M |
2017-18 | $921M |
2018-19 | $968M |
Total | $3.588 Billion |
*The Penn State research and tech transfer data on this page was provided by the Office of Technology Management. The data covers the Invent Penn State initiative through the most recent reporting year (2015 – 2019) and reflects adjusted data as of 2/11/2020.
Patents Issued | Licenses & Options | Startup Licenses & Options | |
2015 | 37 | 24 | 8 |
2016 | 40 | 20 | 6 |
2017 | 66 | 32 | 8 |
2018 | 48 | 15 | 7 |
2019 | 58 | 7 | 2 |
Total | 239 | 98 | 31 |
Average per Year | 500 |
Driving Entrepreneurial Success
Invent Penn State provided seed grant funding for 21 downtown Innovation Hubs, including 15 LaunchBoxes, offering resources like coworking space, accelerator programs, legal and IP advice, and rapid prototyping—all free to the community, and all driving innovation and economic growth.

Entrepreneurs Assisted | 3,325 |
Students Engaged | 9,370 |
Faculty/Staff Engaged | 1,380 |
New Startup Program Graduates | 345 |
New Product Development Projects | 247 |
Internships Created | 433 |
New PA Companies | 164 |
Jobs Created | 194.5 |