KU Leuven is Europe's most innovative university
For the third year running KU Leuven has won the title of Europe's most innovative university. The press agency Reuters takes an annual look at the performance of universities on a scientific level, in inventing new technologies and discovering new markets and industries.
Belgium is doing rather well when it comes to providing high-quality research. There is much praise, not only for KU Leuven, but also for other Belgian universities and colleges. The ranking includes a grand total of 7 Belgian institutes. Also featured in the top 100 are Ghent University, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Vrij Universiteit Brussel, Université Catholique de Louvain, Université de Liège and the University of Antwerp. This demonstrates how a small country can be very well represented in the world of innovation.
One of the most important criteria determining the ranking is the number of academic papers that are published in scientific journals and the requests for patents. A patent allows an institution to protect and commercialise its invention. The patents launched by scientists at KU Leuven are frequently referred to by other researchers, both in the academic world and in industry. An example of an innovative discovery at KU Leuven is a new dental implant that fights infection. Belgium is also considered to be one of the most innovative countries in Europe.