The 26 most innovative universities in Europe - ranked

Universities are hubs of innovation, but the concept of innovation itself is difficult to measure empirically.Thompson Reuters' ranking of the most innovative universities in the world,attempts to do just that, however.The ranking was created from these variables: the number of patents filed by each university between 2008 and 2013, how many of those were granted (as a percentage) and the commercial impact the institution's research has had.Of the 100 ranked by Reuters, 26 of those are from Europe.You can check out the full ranking of the top 100 most innovative universities in the world and a full explanation of its methodology at Reuters.26. Karlsruhe Insitute of Technology (KIT), Germany.The Karlsruhe Insitute of Technology in Germany supplies a lot of physicists to CERN and counts mechanical engineer Karl Benz, whoinvented the first practical car powered by an internal-combustion engine, as an alumni.Total patents filed: 194Patents granted: 58.8% success rateCommercial impact score: 31.3 (against an average score of 54.2)25. The University of Montpellier, France.The University of Montpellier has close ties to the technology industry in southeastern France, especially the biomedical sector. French fashion designer Christian Lacroix also studied here.Total patents filed: 118Patents granted: 60.2%Commercial impact score: 52.224. University of Aix-Marseille, France.The University of Aix-Marseilleoperates 131 research facilities, and has active partnerships with the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) and the French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA).IMF managing director Christine Lagarde studied here.Total patents filed: 127Patents granted: 55.1%Commercial impact score: 42.1See the rest of the story at Business Insider NOW WATCH: This 3-minute animation will change the way you see the universe
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