Major announcement for tech schools: Cornell to get industry’s first on-site patent office
Purpose is to accelerate commercialization of student technology and inventions
A groundbreaking agreement was recently announced between the Commerce Department and Cornell University. The announcement said that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and Commerce will set up an on-campus office at Cornell’s New York City Tech Campus to provide resources directly to the University’s students and faculty as a means for helping to accelerate the commercialization of new technologies.
On-hand for the announcement was acting U.S. Commerce Secretary Rebecca Blank, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Direct of the USPTO David Kappos, and Cornell University President David J. Skorton.
First time—ever
This marks the first time that a U.S. government agency’s resources are being made available directly to a major research institution. It will give students and researchers unprecedented advantages with its direct access to the services they need in order to bring their ideas to market and establish their businesses.
The thought here is that by installing a permanent staff member of the U.S. Commerce Department on campus, the department will be able to provide its full suite of resources to the University community on an as needed basis. Specifically, it will help connect students, faculty, and mentors to everything from investors and intellectual property strategies to government grants and other possible academic partners out there.
Breaking barriers
This unique partnership also stands to break down the somewhat more traditional boundaries seen between graduate education and the research and development of technology products.
“Staying on the cutting edge of innovation is critical to this nation’s long-term competitiveness, and the Obama administration is committed to ensuring that American entrepreneurs have the resources they need to bring their ideas to market,” said Acting U.S. Commerce Secretary Rebecca Blank. “The resources we’ll provide at Cornell University’s New York City Tech campus are a natural extension of the Administration’s commitment to removing the barriers that get in the way of more jobs and more innovation. This partnership will serve as an important vehicle for business growth, job creation and economic opportunity, and I am very pleased that the Department of Commerce is a partner in this groundbreaking agreement with Cornell NYC Tech.”
Outlook
While this news is certainly exciting, it’s not the only thing going on at Cornell. In December 2011, the University, with its academic partner the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, was selected to build an applied science and engineering campus in New York City. The school is currently located in Chelsea, but its permanent home / campus will be a 12-acre site on Roosevelt Island in Manhattan.
Marked to officially open in 2017 (full build out by 2037), the new campus will offer a specially branded model of graduate tech education that fuses lessons with real-world commercial applications and entrepreneurship, all rooted in the latest academic research. According to the school, “Students, faculty and industry experts will learn and work together to launch ideas and create new ventures that have global impact.”
In addition to its on-site patent office, the campus will offer programming for the public — also supported by the Department of Commerce — in several different areas related to multidisciplinary research, industry mentorship opportunities, commercialization strategies, and educational modules in the STEM fields. ■
Story via: commerce.gov
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