Across the country, top universities are finding innovative ways to put their weight behind tech transfer, working to push cutting-edge research from the lab to the market.
The University of Minnesota is one of the institutions leading the charge. A Nature Biotechnology report of U.S. tech transfer offices in 2013 ranks the U’s Office for Technology Commercialization fifth overall in life sciences tech transfer and gives the office high rankings in individual areas like licensing income, patents awarded and startups launched.
The article also illustrates how the U of M is forging ahead in the growing trend of tech commercialization, building its efforts through programs, such as the Entrepreneurial Leave Program and Minnesota Innovation Partnerships Program (MN-IP), that help spur new industry partnerships and launch new startups.
For researchers at the U, OTC is a partner that helps translate new discoveries into commercial products through protecting and licensing intellectual property to industry partners. While Nature Biotech recognized OTC for its success in tech transfer in the life sciences, the office’s expertise extends to all areas of research, including mechanical engineering, software and robotics.
OTC helps researchers’ work benefit society on a larger scale and form products and services that improve people’s quality of life. Participating in the commercial process can also boost future research by garnering recognition, new research sponsors and financial rewards for the researcher, his or her department and the U of M as a whole.
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