Penn is ranked #4—the same as it was in 2018 (Almanac November 6, 2018)—on Reuter’s annual list of most innovative universities. It cited the University’s research budget of $1.02 billion. Highlights it noted were 602 filed patents with a 30.9 percent rate of success. It called out specifically SEAS’ department of mechanical engineering and applied mechanics’ development of a way to “heal” metal at room temperature; utilizing metallic foams coated with an inert polymer, the process is modeled after the way bones repair themselves. The polymer then works as a protective mask for a low-energy, room-temperature electroplating technique that adds a new metal coating only where there was damage. The article also highlighted JPOD, Penn’s collaboration with Johnson & Johnson, located at the Pennovation Center where entrepreneurs can focus on developing new medical devices, pharmaceuticals, consumer and health technologies (Almanac November 6, 2018).