The Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM) has
released a Highlights report concerning its FY2015 annual survey. The results of the survey are promising. For example, there was a 15% increase from the
prior year of licenses and options executed.
An almost 15% increase in new patent applications filed. Over an 11% increase in the number of
start-ups created. And, a 5% increase in
both research expenditures and invention disclosures. I am not too excited about using patent
applications and grants as a metric for technology transfer success, but the
licenses, options, number of startups and research expenditures is
positive. Moreover, the supposed
increase in using consultancy agreements and licensed know-how divorced from patents by
technology transfer offices may point to even more actual technology transfer happening
from university to the private sector. (I
am assuming the reported licenses and options are associated with
patents.)
The Highlights further states that 879 new products have
been introduced to the market and $28 billion “in net sales from new products”
has been realized. Interestingly, 785 of
the 1,012 startups were formed in the research institution's home state. Importantly, $2.5 billion in
licensing income was collected which is 28.4% more than the prior year. It would be interesting to see that $2.5
billion number broken down by patent and product/service (for a critique of using revenue generated as a metric of technology transfer success, see here). AUTM notes that 3.8 million jobs have been created
as well as 153 new drugs and vaccines on the market “because of the Bayh-Dole
Act.” There was about a 65% response
rate to the survey—202 of 308 institutions participated.
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