With a renewed focus on the CU Boulder campus and a host of new initiatives aimed at streamlining the path from science to commercialization, the Technology Transfer Office (TTO) is poised to provide even greater support for faculty in translating their innovations into external impact.
The TTO connects campus researchers with a variety of university and community commercialization programs while providing expertise in patents, copyrights and licensing.
13 licensing deals so far this year
In the first quarter of this year, the TTO closed 13 licensing deals, putting it on pace to complete more licenses than in any year since the figure was first tracked 16 years ago. Recent success stories like those of ReVision Solutions, which recycles waste products from eyeglass production, and reusable carbon fiber company Mallinda reflect how TTO is accelerating the innovation lifecycle from idea to impact. The team is also launching new initiatives like expedited licensing, streamlined startup, consulting, and partnering resources to support easy access to and commercialization of CU Boulder technology.
This summer, TTO reorganized from a CU system office to a Boulder campus office to more closely align with the campus’s vision and strategy. The TTO is now housed within the Research & Innovation Office (RIO), formerly the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research.
Vice Chancellor for Research & Innovation Terri Fiez sees the integration of the TTO as a logical addition to the CU Boulder campus and RIO.
"The campus focus keeps the TTO in daily contact with our faculty and others within RIO positioned to help faculty – including the Office of Industry Collaboration, AeroSpace Ventures, Grand Challenge and Innovation & Entrepreneurship – who regularly interact with the same external partners," Fiez said. "This allows us to more effectively connect our faculty and students with external resources and partners."
Fiez said the transition is part of a broader reassessment of how to best serve the faculty and the campus's commercialization partners.
"We want to make the process easy and open doors so that more faculty innovations are commercialized.”
New team of subject matter experts
Augmenting the structural enhancements, TTO Director Brynmor Rees is joined by a team of functional and subject-matter experts to effectively support the campus. Licensing staff Kala Majeti, Stephanie Villano, and Marta Zgagacz offer expertise in physical sciences and engineering, and a biosciences specialist is being added this month. Joe Davidek, patent administrator, Lynn Pae, license administrator, Angie Skovira, administrative and financial coordinator, and Nathan Chen, database administrator, support the TTO operation.
“Several elements have come together quickly here,” Rees explains. “We’re assembling a very strong team, we have a new home within RIO and we are creating alignment between our vision and that of the campus. When we then fold in the constants – our creative faculty and students, and the unique community we have here in Boulder – the possibilities are extraordinary.”
With a more singular focus and a robust team in place, CU Boulder’s TTO is now ideally positioned to leverage the campus’s focus on exploring innovation through its world-class physics, biosciences, aerospace and engineering programs.
