DETROIT-The Patent Board has ranked General Motors as the No. 1 innovator of 182 companies in its quarterly automotive and transportation industry scorecard.

The organization analyzes intellectual property performance across 17 industries and determines the leader in each sector based on measurements that include the number of patents, impact on the industry, and technology and science strength. GM also ranked first in the automotive/transportation sector in the previous scorecard, published in January.

"We focus on inventions that make our vehicles more sustainable," says Alan Taub, GM's vice president of research and design (R&D). "Our engineers are developing advanced technologies that increase fuel efficiency and ensure safety while maintaining the excitement of personal mobility."

GM operates global engineering centers and R&D labs around the world and collaborates with academia, suppliers and startups to identify and develop new technologies. During the past 10 years, it increased its patent filings six-fold.

The Patent Board announcement follows recent news that GM received more clean-energy patents last year than any other organization, according to the Clean Energy Patent Growth Index of U.S. patents. GM also received 940 U.S. patents in 2010, which placed it in the top 25 of all companies.