From a lead-free solder used in technology worldwide to the first electronic computer, research at Iowa State continues to produce inventions that shape everyday life.
Lead-free solder, a metal mixture used to connect parts in electronic devices, ranks as Iowa State’s highest-earning invention. It generated nearly $60 million in royalties before the patent expired in 2013, according to Patrick Klepcyk, director of the ISU Office of Innovation Commercialization (OIC). The solder is widely used in smartphones and computers today.
“It certainly returned a lot of investment,” Klepcyk said. “Iowa State is the fifth institution I’ve been associated with, and former colleagues certainly knew about the history of the lead-free solder.”
Outside of the lead-free solder, Iowa State has produced many successful innovations. Other notable inventions, according to ISU Marketing and Communications, include:
- The Atanasoff-Berry Computer (ABC)—Developed from 1939 to 1942, the ABC was the world’s first electronic digital computer.
- The Crimson Sweet watermelon—Invented by Charlie Hall and introduced in 1964, the watermelon is known for its small seeds and sweet flavor.
- SC 54 vaccine—Developed in 1995 by Theodore Kramer, the immunization is used to treat salmonella in swine.
- Rice Krispies Treat—Although the popular snack was not invented at Iowa State, it was invented by ISU graduate Mildred Day in 1939. Iowa State students famously made a 2,480-pound Rice Krispies Treat during the 2001 VEISHEA celebration.
Iowa State ranks in the top 40 of global universities when it comes to patents granted, and ranks as high as No. 6 in the United States when compared with public institutions, Klepcyk said.
“If we eliminate medical schools and private institutions, we’re number six when it comes to patents issued annually,” Klepcyk said. “When you bring all of those groups in, we’re 36th in the U.S.”
Klpecyk attributes Iowa State’s national ranking to the university’s commitment to applied science.
“Vet Med is at the forefront of new diseases, and those are the same folks that are thinking about ways to address them,” Klepcyk said. “I think that is a big asset.”
Craig Forney, the assistant director of business development of OIC, said that one of ISU’s most recent successful inventions was new powder-making technology.
“One of the big trends in manufacturing is 3D printing, and that requires high-quality materials,” Forney said. “A startup came out of the Ames laboratory that revolutionized how to make titanium powder. That’s been pretty successful, and that was within the past 12 years.”
Although Forney believes that Iowa State will continue to produce groundbreaking inventions, the process of gauging success takes a substantial amount of time.
“Our biggest financial return came from the lead-free solder, but it did not return investment for close to eight years,” Forney said. “It’s a very long-term thing, so we don’t know how successful something from the past couple years will be.”
The process of obtaining a patent can also take a long period of time, according to Klepcyk.
“Sometimes, it might take five to seven years because patents are very expensive,” Klepcyk said. “We spend over $1 million annually on our patent portfolio, and we have to put together an analysis on whether we should invest.”
Klepcyk said that future challenges for inventors and OIC will involve rapidly changing technology.
“We have to look at a new way of protecting things,” Klepcyk said. “As we get into these new virtual environments with AI, we’re still figuring out how to protect our patents and transact business around the technology.”
Forney said that OIC will have to be responsive to new developments from the federal level.
“As the legal landscape changes, we have to adapt to that,” Forney said. “Protections are not settled yet when it comes to AI. What Congress does to address that impacts the way we have to look at technologies and license them.”
