A patent portfolio assessment of a Brazilian research university: The case of Universidade Federal Fluminense

摘要

Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) are widely acknowledged to be of central importance to research universities worldwide. This article assesses the patent portfolio of Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF), which is located in State of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil and currently consists of the largest Brazilian research university in terms of the total number of enrolled undergraduate students. More specifically, this study provides robust empirical evidence pointing out that a major university in a developing country is strengthening its patent portfolio by increasing the number of patent applications. In addition, it was also possible to observe that UFF's patent portfolio is dominated by emerging technologies addressing human necessities, such as medical, hygiene, or veterinary products.