Executives from New Jersey-based giants Audible and CoreWeave lead the list of 2026 Edison Patent Awards honorees.
Distributed annually, the Research & Development Council of New Jersey will recognize 15 award-winning patents from 13 organizations this year, along with five distinguished individual honors presented to eight leaders.
The awards represent the Garden State’s highest distinction for invention and innovation. According to the council’s Aug. 19 announcement, this year’s event pays tribute to Thomas Edison’s belief that relentless invention changes the world.
The 7th Annual Edison Patent Awards: Revolution Through Innovation ceremony and reception will take place Nov. 19 at Bell Works in Holmdel. Find additional details here.
“Every revolution begins with curiosity,” said Virginie Maillard, chair of the Research & Development Council of New Jersey. Maillard also serves as head of global research in simulation and digital twin and head of research in the U.S. for Siemens Foundational Technologies.
“The inventors and leaders we recognize this year saw possibilities where others saw obstacles and imagined better solutions,” she added.
Individual honors
Science & Technology Medal – Mike Intrator, Brian Venturo, Brannin McBee and Peter Salanki; co-founders; CoreWeave
The Council’s highest individual honor showcases New Jersey leaders whose extraordinary performance has led to an impactful innovation reaching the marketplace. “From its New Jersey roots, CoreWeave has grown into the world’s leading AI Cloud, demonstrating the bold, commercially successful innovation this award was created to recognize,” the organization said.
Visionary Award – Bob Carrigan, CEO, Audible
Educator of the Year – Lamont Repollet, president, Kean University
Repollet is recognized for leading a remarkable institutional rise rooted in access, research and workforce development, culminating in Kean’s designation as one of the nation’s newest research universities.
Catalyst Award – Atam Dhawan, Ph.D., chief strategic innovation officer and senior vice provost for research, New Jersey Institute of Technology
Dhawan has built the connections that turn New Jersey’s research strength into shared progress, convening universities, government and industry around challenges no single institution could solve alone, the R&D Council said.
Emerging Tech Award – Kathryn Carpenter, founder and CEO, Cecilia Materials
Recognizing early-stage innovation that shows exceptional potential to make a significant impact on the marketplace, Cecilia Materials’ technology transforms industrial plastic waste into high-value advanced carbons.
R&D Council Executive Director Kim Case noted that while the honorees’ work spans different industries, “the through line is the same: a revolution driven by innovation, right here in New Jersey.”
Patents
This year, the R&D Council selected winning technologies that include:
New methods for detecting vulnerable coronary plaque before heart attacks occur; improving hurricane prediction; strengthening optical communications systems; producing more resilient shellfish through controlled breeding; advancing pharmaceutical manufacturing; and creating technologies that reduce environmental impacts while improving industrial performance.