KBA North America proudly announces that Koenig & Bauer AG, its parent company, has risen to 21st from 26th among the top 50 in the annual update of The Patent Board’s Patent Scorecard for manufacturers of heavy industrial equipment in 2011. The update appeared in the Wall Street Journal on September 13.
 
In the Patent Scorecard, Koenig & Bauer also increased the number of U.S. patents awarded it---from 46 patents in 2010 to 49 U.S. patents in 2011. The firm gained ground in Technology Strength as well as Industry Impact. Koenig & Bauer once again was the highest ranked printing press manufacturer in the top 50 annual update.
 
“Our continued rise in the rankings reflects our company’s consistent focus on innovation as a pioneer of press engineering for the past 194 years,” says Mark Hischar, president and CEO of KBA North America. “KBA had the highest ranking of the three German press manufacturers. We’re very proud of our continuing lead in this prestigious ranking.”
 
The Patent Board’s Patent Scorecard is based on companies and private research firms that are grouped by their Patent Board technology strength ranking which is based on the scale, quality, impact, and nearness to core science of a company's patent-based intellectual property. This overall strength rating factors in both qualitative and quantitative aspects of a company's patent portfolio. The charts help to spot the leaders in each group and across the board. All indicators based on 13-week rolling averages.