R&D Council Recognizes 2019 Edison Patent Award Winners

On Oct 22, 2019

The Research & Development Council of New Jersey announced the 2019 Edison Patent Award winners, along with the special individual honorees, who include: Gov. Phil Murphy, Princeton University President Christopher L. Eisgruber and Nobel Laureate Dr. Arthur Ashkin.  There are 15 patent award winners this year, covering a wide range of research, all of which will be highlighted at the annual Thomas Alva Edison Patent Awards Ceremony scheduled for November 14 at the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City.

The patents for this year’s winners go to Avaya, BASF, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Ethicon, ExxonMobil, Honeywell, Insmed, Merck, NJIT, Nokia Bell Labs, Rutgers, Siemens Corporate, Siemens Healthineers and Subcom.  The patents range from major breakthroughs in pharmaceutical science, to creating digital twin organs of patients for diagnostic purposes, to establishing the algorithmic foundation for making the internet faster and more efficient.  A complete list of winners, patent names, and numbers is listed below.  Winners were selected from nominations that were reviewed by a team of R&D Council researchers who evaluated patents for significance of the problem, utility/socio-economic value, novelty and commercial impact.

“Every year, we watch the advances of the research coming from this state and we are overwhelmed by the quality and broad spectrum of work being done right here in New Jersey,” said Larry O’Connell, chairman of the board of the R&D Council and IBM’s vice president of Global Technical Leadership.

Governor Murphy’s Innovation State theme, coupled with the creation of numerous supportive policies, has heightened the state’s focus on research and development and innovation.  “New Jersey has always been at the forefront of new research and innovation that has changed the world, dating back to Thomas Edison,” stated Anthony Cicatiello, president of the R&D Council.  “The Governor rightfully is focusing on our state’s strengths and emphasizing the positive impact that we continue to have through New Jersey’s innovation ecosystem.”

Princeton University has been one of New Jersey’s most important research institutions since its founding in 1746.  Today, the University stands as a global leader in research and teaching and, under President Eisgruber’s leadership, has embraced innovation, connecting research to real-world problems and solutions and leading the way in the development of an innovation ecosystem in the heart of New Jersey.  “President Eisgruber’s tenure as Princeton president includes collaborations with innovation giants such as Microsoft, Google and New Jersey’s own, Celgene. His administration also launched the Princeton Innovation Center Biolabs, a premier co-working space for science start-ups,” stated Kim Case, R&D Council executive director.  “Princeton’s innovation impact is building exciting momentum, with the potential to benefit the economy, attract talent and continue New Jersey’s legacy as a supportive environment in which to advance research and development.”

New Jersey is recognized for its many Nobel Laureates.  This year, the R&D Council will honor Bell Labs alum Dr. Arthur Ashkin, who received the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physics at age 96.  Dr. Ashkin is considered the father of optical tweezers that grab particles, atoms, molecules, and living cells with laser beam fingers. The tweezers use laser light to push small particles towards the center of the beam and to hold them there.  Through his research, Dr. Ashkin succeeded in capturing living bacteria without harming them and now optical tweezers are widely used to investigate biological systems.

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