Rowan engineer to accept 2026 Edison Patent Award

A Rowan University biomedical engineer will be honored this fall with a 2026 Edison Patent Award in the “Advanced Manufacturing” category, the Research & Development Council of New Jersey announced Tuesday. The awards are New Jersey’s highest distinction for invention and innovation.  

Vince Beachley, a professor in the Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering and associate dean of research and innovation at the Rowan-Virtua School of Translational Biomedical Engineering & Sciences, will accept the honor for his invention, “System and method for electrospun fiber straining and collecting,” U.S. Patent No. 11,015,267 B2. Patented by Rowan University, the new technology enables the continuous manufacturing production of aligned nanofibers. The method produces stronger, better-forming filaments with potential use in the biomedical industry. 

The invention is among 15 award-winning patents from 13 organizations recognized by this year’s awards, along with five distinguished individual honors presented to eight leaders whose vision, leadership, and groundbreaking work continue to strengthen New Jersey's innovation economy.

Along with Beachley’s work, this year’s winning technologies represent innovations across a broad range of industries. They 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.

The honorees will be recognized during the 47th Annual Edison Patent Awards Ceremony and Reception on Thursday, Nov. 19, at Bell Works in Holmdel, New Jersey. This year's theme, “Revolution Through Innovation,” pays tribute to the spirit Thomas Edison made famous: the belief that relentless invention changes the world. As the nation commemorates its 250th anniversary, the theme celebrates the inventors, entrepreneurs, researchers and educators who continue that legacy by transforming bold ideas into discoveries that improve lives, strengthen industries, and shape the future.

“Every revolution begins with curiosity,” said Virginie Maillard, chair of the Research & Development Council of New Jersey and 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. Their work reminds us that innovation isn't a single moment of inspiration. It's the persistence to keep asking questions, testing ideas, and turning bold thinking into real-world impact. That spirit has defined New Jersey for generations, and it continues to shape our future.”

“Thomas Edison believed that relentless invention could change the world, and this year's honorees carry that spirit forward,” said Kim Case, executive director of the R&D Council. “Their work spans medicine, energy, artificial intelligence, and the environment, but the through line is the same: a revolution driven by innovation, right here in New Jersey. We are proud to recognize the people leading it.”

In addition to Rowan, the 2026 Edison Patent Awards will honor patents from the following organizations: 13 Mari Ltd.; 911inform; Acustrip Company; Chiral Photonics, Inc.; Innerstill; Merck & Co., Inc.; NEC Laboratories America, Inc.; Nokia Bell Labs; Princeton University (two awards); Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey (two awards); Siemens; and Siemens Healthineers.

Winning patents were selected by a team of council board members who evaluated patents for the significance of the problem it solves, its utility and socioeconomic value, its novelty, and its commercial impact. Every winning patent must have at least part of its technical or scientific work completed in New Jersey.

For the complete list of award winners, visit: https://rdnj.org/news/2026patentawards/