Technology Transfer

If necessity is the mother of invention, technology transfer is its father.

That’s been true since 1980, anyway. That’s when the federal government granted universities the right to patent inventions arising from government-funded research (a big deal, since most university life sciences research is funded by federal agencies such as the National Institutes of Health).

Universities across North Carolina and the nation now have technology transfer offices in place to help usher great ideas out of their labs and into the marketplace. Here’s the benefit North Carolina tech transfer offices reported in 2008 alone:

• 243 deals done (licenses and options)
• 25 new companies formed
• 1,684 active licenses outstanding statewide
• $110 million earned in licensing income

We have numerous specialists and programs at the North Carolina Biotechnology Center to support the commercialization of new technologies, primarily through academic grants,  business loans and services such as BATON.

However, we do not directly engage in technology transfer. We make no claims to inventions made with support provided by the Biotechnology Center. Instead, we help inventors and tech transfer officers pinpoint life sciences opportunities that seem most likely to succeed and offer funding and services to help move these inventions towards commercialization.

Leading the Biotechnology Center's efforts to work with North Carolina’s technology transfer offices is Rob Lindberg, PhD, RAC, senior director of the BATON Program. Lindberg has written a number of primers that are available online:

• Understanding Technology Transfer
• Drug Development and Regulatory Approval
• Intellectual Property

Below are some key tech transfer offices in North Carolina:

Appalachian State University - Office of Research and Sponsored Programs

Duke University - Office of Licensing and Ventures

East Carolina University - Office of Technology Transfer

NC A&T State University - Office of Outreach & Technology Transfer

NC Central University - Office of Technology Transfer

North Carolina State University- Office of Technology Transfer

UNC at Chapel Hill - Office of Technology Development

UNC Charlotte - Office of Technology Transfer

UNC - Greensboro - Office of Innovation Commercialization (OIC)

UNC at Pembroke - Biotechnology Business & Training Center

UNC Wilmington - Office of Technology Transfer

Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center - Office of Technology Asset Management (OTAM)

Western Carolina University - Office of Research Administration