KU Leuven most innovative university for second year running

For the second year in a row, the University of Leuven (KU Leuven) tops media giant Thomson Reuters’ ranking of Europe’s most innovative universities. Ghent University (UGent) ranks 19th, while ULB comes in at 38th and VUB 48th.

Reuters’ ranking is based on the publication of academic papers, which indicate basic research performed at a university, and the patent filings that show the institutions’ efforts in protecting and marketing discoveries.

KU Leuven earned its first place partly because of its high volume of influential inventions, said Reuters in a statement. “Its researchers submit more patents than most other universities on the continent, and outside researchers frequently cite KU Leuven inventions in their own patent applications,” stated Reuters.

Reuters was also impressed with the university’s partnership with Ford Motor Company to study the durability of auto parts created with a 3D printing process.

UGent, which advanced three places to make the top 20, was praised for its science parks, which bring research labs and private companies together for collaborations. Reuters pointed to the university’s recent development of technology that saw electricity disinfecting wastewater flowing through open drainage systems in India.

VUB, meanwhile, climbed two places, receiving recognition for its new Brussels Human Robotic Research Centre (BruBotics). Reuters also refers to the VUB’s collaboration with the Catholic University of Bolivia in La Paz, to improve the quality of life in fragile rural and urban regions in Bolivia.

Photo: Rob Stevens/KU Leuven