Technology Transfer at the University of Dayton
by John Leland
Former UD Director for Technology Partnerships
In the spirit of connected learning and contributing to the community, the University of Dayton has been a leader in the transfer of technology. Technology transfer encompasses much more than traditional patent and copyright licensing. Our science and engineering graduates are the main source of technology transfer from the University. Our graduates often return to the University when their company needs research services outside of its own capability. Thus, there is a recurring benefit to both the University and industry from this principal source of technology transfer.
Another of the University's technology transfer pursuits is the publication of sponsored research achievements. The University performs more than forty million dollars per year in sponsored research. Much of this is reported in the public literature and contributes to the collective knowledge of our society. Those familiar with the creation of new products know that today's fundamental research will form the basis of unimagined products that will be introduced ten, twenty and even fifty years from now.
The University is also active in licensing patents and copyrights (intellectual property) that are the intellectual product of its faculty and research staff. The vast majority of the University's intellectual property is the result of federally-funded research. Universities were first motivated to engage in technology transfer of federally funded intellectual property in 1980 with the passage of the Bayh-Dole Act. Until that time, universities could not collect royalties or recover the costs associated with patenting, copyrighting and licensing. The University of Dayton was one of the first to respond to this new opportunity and signed its first license agreement in 1982. The Technology Partnerships Office was established shortly thereafter in 1984 to provide patenting, copyrighting and licensing support to University researchers.
Where possible, the University seeks to transfer intellectual property to local or Ohio-based industry. One of our most successful licensing arrangements has been with Energy Storage Technologies, Inc. (EST) now based in Dayton. EST has incorporated a variety of heat storage materials into pizza delivery bags (Domino’s HeatWave), therapeutic hot and cold packs, and medical vaccine delivery units. The latter have been in high demand recently by local and federal emergency response authorities for the storage and transport of anthrax and other vaccines to combat bio-terrorism. However, the technology got its start with and is still focused on the improvement of vaccine delivery to developing countries.
While state universities have only recently become more flexible in constructing license agreements (through the ability to accept equity, for example) and in allowing faculty to have a personal stake in start-up companies, the University has a long history of being innovative with its licensing program. The University formed a joint partnership with Gem City Engineering and a European company, Socomer, to commercialize some of its oil analysis patents. The company that resulted is now known as Fluitec International, which has its U.S. office based in Dayton. The Remaining Useful Life Evaluation Routine (RULER) technology, used to analyze industrial oils and fluids, is licensed to Fluitec and is now sold worldwide.
The University holds many patents in the areas of advanced materials (including conductive polymers and chromate-free corrosion inhibitors), environmental remediation processes, fuel and oil additives and oil analysis techniques. A list of technologies available for licensing is available here.
The University also transfers technology through its consulting agreements with industry. When our consulting involves process or product improvement of a technology in which the company already has a proprietary interest, the University has been flexible in creating arrangements that protect our corporate customer’s proprietary interests.
The University continues to focus on expanding and improving its technology transfer through the graduation of distinguished students, the conduct of world-class sponsored research, consulting to industry, and traditional patent and copyright licensing.
For more information, please contact the Office for Technology Partnerships at 937-229-3515.
May 2002
For more information, please contact Pamela Gregg (pamela.gregg@udri.udayton.edu), UDRI Communication Administrator, at 937-229-3268.
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