Navigating IP strategies with UC’s 1819 Innovation Hub

While navigating the intricacies of pioneering research initiatives, faculty and student innovators can stay current on legal safeguards through the University of Cincinnati’s tech transfer team.

How? For those at the forefront of innovation and business, the 1819 Innovation Hub’s dedicated team — in the Department of Technology Transfer — is the driving force to achieving and maintaining this sense of balance.

Comprised of experts in licensing, business development and IP matters, the team leverages extensive experience in propelling technologies across many of UC’s most diverse fields of research and innovation.

“Acquiring IP protection and commercialization is the key path toward seeing your invention make the intended impact in the world you are targeting,” said Patrick Brown, commercialization navigator on UC's 1819 Innovation Hub Technology Transfer team. “Our office is the first step in making this happen.”

The crux of any successful innovation lies not just in the creation of IP but in crafting a strategic plan for its commercialization. Brown finds the value of IP becoming apparent when aligned with a clear end goal and a robust strategy for product development.

While IP is crucial, other business elements such as being the first mover and consulting influencers such as industry experts also plays a pivotal role.

When embarking on building an IP strategy, Brown feels the emphasis should be on erecting a metaphorical wall around the idea. This strategic move provides an advantage in the IP process while ensuring a stronghold in a competitive landscape.

• Navigating the tech transfer process: Initiating contact with the tech transfer office during the discovery phase opens a wealth of resources for bringing ideas to fruition. While not strictly linear, the process involves early communication through phone calls, emails or completion of a disclosure form. Case managers collaborate with innovators to evaluate their creations, conduct patent searches and analyze market dynamics.

The strategic assessment that follows guides the determination of whether to focus on licensing the innovation to an existing company or create a new one. The decision-making process involves considering factors such as the invention's novelty, market potential and the competitive landscape.

• When and whom to contact: Knowing when to engage with the tech transfer team is vital. Reach out when you have invented something, prepared a manuscript, are planning an industry collaboration or aspire to form a startup company.

If you are not initially sure that your idea is novel or patentable, you are still encouraged to submit a disclosure. The tech transfer team will work with you to determine the right path for your idea.

Key contacts within the tech transfer team include Geoffrey Pinski, assistant vice president of tech transfer, Rucha Tadwalkar, licensing associate for the life sciences, and Madison Bourbon, senior licensing associate for the physical sciences.

• Invention Disclosure Form: The journey begins with submitting an Invention Disclosure Form to the tech transfer office, initiating the IP protection and commercialization process.
• IP protection and commercialization process: The tech transfer team collaborates with faculty and student innovators to develop a comprehensive IP strategy for protection and commercialization based on invention assessment. This process may involve filing a provisional patent application, followed by subsequent steps such as marketing to industry and deciding whether to convert provisional to full patent applications.
• Potential commercial outcomes: The culmination of the process may lead to licensing the innovation to an existing company or forming a startup company that licenses IP from UC, with potential connections to its growing network of venture creation firms, such as corporate partner Orange Grove Bio or UC’s Venture Lab.

To navigate the intricate path of IP strategy, UC's 1819 Innovation Hub tech transfer team serves as a beacon, offering expertise, resources and a roadmap to transform groundbreaking ideas into impactful realities.

More information about IP is available on the 1819 website.

Featured image at top: Hands and eyes through a string of lights. Photo/Lloyd Newman via Unsplash