The news agency Reuters investigated which European universities are the most innovative. Two Munich universities, TUM and LMU, are among the top ten.
The old image of the scholar in an ivory tower is no longer valid: universities are increasingly being measured by their output and its commercial viability. Reuters has now published a ranking of the 100 most innovative universities in Europe.
The Technische Universität München ranks fifth in the Reuters ranking as the best German university. The Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg follows in sixth place. Ludwig Maximilian University, a second Munich university, ranks ninth in the top ten. The Belgian Catholic University of Leuven secures the top spot. A total of 24 German universities make it onto the list of Europe's 100 most innovative universities—more than any other country.
Reuters results “in line with other international rankings”
TUM President Wolfgang A. Herrmann confidently comments on the results:
"This ranking also only highlights a partial aspect of our larger agenda, but its results are in line with other international rankings, including the Shanghai Ranking, the Nature Index, and the Global Employability University Ranking."
Reuters analyzed, in particular, the number of patents filed and granted by universities. It also considered how well basic research could be implemented commercially. A detailed description of the methodology can be found here.
