What’s the best way to get federally funded technologies out of university and federal labs and into the market? This is the big question of late, and it’s generating a lot of hubbub. Regardless of the merits of all of the initiatives, directives, and legislation, I think a key aspect is being overlooked. As any technology transfer office (TTO) can tell you, not every technology emerging from federal R&D spending will be the next Honeycrisp™ apple, implantable pacemaker, or Red Hat, Inc. But some do have the potential to launch new companies, improve or expand the product/service offerings of existing companies, create jobs, or otherwise positively impact the U.S. economy and/or provide humanitarian benefits. The question is: Which technologies? And, more importantly, how do TTOs find them and commercialize them efficiently? Continue reading →
The impending shift from a “first to invent” to a “first inventor to file” structure under the recently passed America Invents Act is causing quite a bit of turmoil in the technology transfer industry. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has provided some explanations via FAQs and a letter from director Kappos, yet the rumblings continue. Some in the industry suggest that the appropriate response is to file quick-and-dirty provisionals on virtually everything that comes in the door. I’m sure technology transfer offices (TTOs) hear this advice. But I sincerely hope they do not heed it. 
Fuentek is gearing up for the annual meeting of the Association of University Technology Managers® (AUTM®) annual meeting March 14-17 in Anaheim, California. This year we’ll be participating on two interesting panels, and we couldn’t be more excited about it! Fuentek president Laura Schoppe is hosting the panel “Tailoring Your Web Site to Match Your Technology Transfer Office’s Goals.” The panel will give attendees lots of ideas for ways in which they can redesign their own sites. Next up, I’m pleased to join the panel “Frequently Asked Questions about Intern Programs.” This session will draw on industry best practices to answer questions about the Who, What, When, Why, and How surrounding internship programs. 
If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you know that Fuentek is pleased to share the insights we’ve learned in the past decade of providing technology transfer services to a wide range of clients. So it is with great pleasure that we unveil the newly updated Insights section of the Fuentek Web site. This section gathers together the many diverse resources we offer on a wide range of tech transfer topics. 
Before you pick up the phone to gather industry opinions as you assess a technology’s commercial value, do some homework to identify the right experts to call. Who are they? Target those who are most likely to influence or have a viable interest in adopting the technology. How do you find them? Consider the value chain. In doing hundreds of assessments for our clients, Fuentek has found the value chain to be an essential tool to identify target markets and prospective licensees. Basically, the value chain is… 
There have been a lot of articles recently about universities giving away IP rights for free. The specifics of each vary, and most seem to have advantages that will help accelerate the transfer of technology. But some go further than others. 
We at Fuentek have run across some interesting items that I think you’ll want to read. In fact, we’ve decided to turn this occasional post into a monthly feature on our blog. Happy reading, and let us know what you think by posting a comment below or by sending us a private message via our Contact Us page. 
Though it may be tempting to jump immediately into marketing an exciting technology that seems bound for tech transfer success, it’s important to look before you leap to ensure you’re making the best decisions about where to allocate your finite time and resources. Proactive research and planning is critical for developing marketing strategies that are efficient and cost-effective. We’ve blogged about this in our posts about the initial rapid screening and the more in-depth market-based assessment—the two steps for making informed commercialization decisions. The market-based assessment is so essential to technology transfer success that Fuentek has released a free webcast about it. 
Earlier this week I participated in the Raleigh Innovation Summit, which was held to create a unified vision for the city’s future in the areas of innovation and entrepreneurship. Groups discussed creating an innovation center in Raleigh, branding Raleigh as a city of innovation, creating partnerships, and bringing more money to the region. A lot of great ideas were generated, and participants have been encouraged to keep sharing them. So in addition to what you’ll see in tweets (#innovateRAL), here are some of my ideas: 