Newswise — The Association of University Technology Managers®, a nonprofit association for academic technology transfer professionals, announces the release of the FY2006 U.S. Licensing Activity SurveyTM Summary — quantitative data and real-world examples about licensing activities at U.S. universities, hospitals and research institutions.
The report highlights the work of academic transfer offices and their benefit to our communities through innovative technologies, products and resulting startup companies. The comprehensive survey includes 14 success stories that detail real-world contributions from academic and research institutions " from a new HIV medication to a clothing and accessory solution for lymphedema sufferers.
The data is grouped in the following categories: Resources for Technology Transfer and Intake and Intellectual Property Management and Licensing Activity.
Highlights from the FY2006 U.S. Licensing Activity SurveyTM include:"¢697 new products introduced into the market in 2006 " 4,350 introduced from FY98 through FY06
"¢Total research support continues to rise, with this year's increase at $3.1 billion over FY2005, and percentage of support from federal and industrial sources remaining constant
"¢Venture capital supplied initial funding for less than 20% of new startup companies, down slightly from FY2005. States and corporate partnerships increased their funding percentages by 5% in FY2006. Friends and family continue to be the most common source of initial funding for startup companies.
"¢Total U.S. patent applications increased to 15,908 (up from 15,115 in FY2005) but patents issued continued to decrease (indicative of delays at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office)
"¢Invention disclosures received rose to 18,874, an increase of 1,492 or 8.6% from FY2005, more than twice the increase seen from FY2004 to FY2005
"¢Licensing to small companies (primarily non-exclusive licenses) again dominated total licensing activity
"¢Technology transfer offices are growing " more than 1,800 full-time equivalents " continuing a ten-year increase in staffing
"AUTM members help transform academic ideas into practical products. This summary illustrates the impact our work has on society. We begin with ideas and work collaboratively to protect the innovation with patent and copyright applications, ultimately licensing the technology," says Dana Bostrom, editor of the 2006 AUTM Licensing Activity Survey. FY2006 AUTM Licensing Activity SurveyTM data provides an assessment of the effectiveness of academic technology transfer offices and reports on their impact on society. The statistics combined with the practical stories provide deeper context for the public.
The U.S. Licensing Survey Summary is available on the AUTM Web site at http://www.autm.net. The Canadian report will be available later this year. Data from the 2006 Licensing Activity Survey Summaries will be accessible through STATT, an online statistical data warehouse, in 2008. Members of the Licensing Survey Committee are available for comment.
The Association of University Technology Managers is a nonprofit organization with an international membership of more than 3,000 technology managers and business executives. AUTM members — managers of intellectual property, one of the most active growth sectors of the global economy — represent more than 300 universities, research institutions, teaching hospitals as well as numerous businesses and government organizations.
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