Innovation is a core value here at Micron for good reason: Technology companies fail without continuous brilliant ideas and solutions. And maintaining Micron’s position as a technology leader requires lots of truly brilliant ideas.
Fortunately, our team is putting in the hard work that leads to great results. Micron ranked 19th on IFI's list of companies receiving patents from the United States Patent and Trademark Office in 2020. With a projected 1,535 patents for the year, Micron leapfrogged giants such as Boeing, Ericcson and General Motors. We now rank directly behind Google (#17) and General Electric (#18).
That’s good company, especially considering that Micron was issued more patents on a per-capita basis than virtually all other companies sitting atop the list. With expertise earned over 42 years in the memory and storage business, Micron is no scrappy startup. But pound for pound, we innovate with the biggest and the best.
How’s this for innovation: In 2020, Micron patents increased 21% from 2019 and nearly doubled over the last three years. That growth reflects tremendous talent and dedication across our many sites around the globe. We have more individual inventors at Micron than at any point in company history. In addition, we have more women inventors than ever before — a particular point of pride. Having more perspectives unlocks more and better ideas.
Movies paint inventors as quirky geniuses in lab coats pouring bubbling mixtures from beakers or assembling robots from spare parts. The reality is much more complex. At Micron, intense collaboration turns ideas into patents. Our talented patent attorneys work with our world-class inventors to capture the kernels that become world-changing technology and nurture them through the expensive, complex and lengthy process of disclosing inventions and applying for patents.
Bright and hardworking people flourish at Micron. We want our team members to feel like their efforts are appreciated and rewarded. We hope our rise up the patent list broadcasts a bold message to the world: College students! Professionals in the technology world! Come innovate at Micron. Our team has many brilliant people, but we always have room for more.
We mean it when we say that innovation is a company value. Innovation permeates our culture. It drives our mission to transform how the world uses information to enrich life for all. Cracking the top 20 on the patent list won’t be a huge surprise to team members, but if nothing else, it provides an opportunity to celebrate.
