The role of the patent portfolio iin the age of complex product development.

By Lindsey Gilroy and Tammy D'Amato

Who would have imagined that modern wheelchairs owe their design and material construction to NASA’s research on aerodynamics and lightweight metals? When JFK vowed to send a man to the moon, little did he imagine what far-reaching applications would arise out of space exploration research. From memory foam to digital image processing, from firefighting equipment to aerodynamic swimsuits, from artwork restoration to thermometer pills for athletes, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has had a hand in some of the most down-to-Earth innovations in the last half of the 20th century. In fact, over 1,600 commercial products have been born out of NASAresearch since 1976 – and that doesn’t even include the number of technologies that are used in industrial processes. While NASA’s research contributions to society have been remarkable, it is just one of many federal departments pursuing research with a mission to serve the public good. Through government agencies such as NASA, the Department of Defense, the Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Health & Human Services, just to name a few, the U.S. Government is developing technologies that are out of this world – and can lead to private sector products. 

Publish or perish is the mantra of leading Research Universities. Professors receive tenure based on their publication track record. Universities profile themselves based on the publication record of their staff. As a result, U.S. academic institutions account for roughly three-quarters of all U.S. papering each year1. University Papering trends frequently form the basis for rating academic standings of Research Universities. However, universities can and should become the fly wheel for economic development. Some universities such as MIT or University of Texas in Austin become the seed for Centers of Innovations. Particularly in today’s knowledge economy, Research Universities need to take a role in commercializing their scientific and technological innovation. For Universities to fulfill this role, they will need to emphasize patenting as well as papering.