For generations, MIT has made unparalleled contributions to the success of American innovation.
- Starting in the 1940s, MIT scientists developed the radar that continues to protect us from intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and other threats.
- In work conducted for the US Navy, MIT researchers built the pioneering Whirlwind I digital computer in 1951.
- By creating the navigation and guidance systems that got the Apollo 11 mission to the moon and back in 1969, MIT made possible one of the century’s greatest successes.
- Seven decades of fundamental MIT work in AI have led to the current moment where this technology is beginning to infuse all parts of our economy, bolstering US competitiveness.
- Fusion energy — an MIT priority since 1958 — is on the cusp of producing an entirely new form of clean energy, with the US in the driver’s seat for now.
MIT’s students and graduates contribute significantly to the US economy
More than 30,000 alumni-founded companies
A 2015 study identified more than 30,000 active companies founded by MIT alumni, employing 4.6 million people and generating annual global revenues of $1.9 trillion. That study’s authors noted that these figures were “roughly equivalent to the GDP of the world’s 10th largest economy as of 2014.”
More patents than any other US campus
For 10 consecutive years, MIT has produced more patents than any other campus in the nation: In 2024, 323 utility patents were issued to MIT by the US Patent and Trademark Office.
A powerful record of working with industry
MIT works extensively with partners in industry: 19% of sponsored research on MIT’s campus is funded by industry.
Bottom Line
MIT drives American innovation through visionary research, technological breakthroughs, and its powerful impact on the economy.