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OPIC Profiled as an Innovative Model

Toronto, Ontario, Canada, April 6, 2009

Technology Transfer Tactics, a leading commercialization publication delivered to 75,000 technology transfer professionals, profiled the OPIC model as an innovative way to leverage commercialization resources. The OPIC network provides access to a common pool of project funds, shared information technology resources and day-to-day co-mentorship. OPIC is a successful solution for efficiently improving the quality of small tech transfer offices. OPIC university members* have a combined annual research budget of approximately $80 million.

Barb Eccles, Technology Transfer Manager, Lakehead University said in the TTT interview   " ...smaller schools do tend to either have more generalists or to be missing expertise in critical areas. Larger offices have access to more expertise simply because they have more staff. We wanted to show that smaller offices can band together and fill in some of those gaps by sharing expertise."

Hitesh Jain, Technology Transfer Management, Brock University, noted ongoing collaboration as one of the major benefits of the consortium. " With a confidential disclosure agreement in place, we can freely seek advice, guidance, input and support from other members. We collaborate on specific IP files and jointly engage in program development and strategic planning for the benefit of all offices."

Since its inception "OPIC has supported approximately 25 projects from all seven institutions, Jain reported in an AUTM poster, and has committed more than $200,000 in funding to support patents, commercialization studies, demonstration projects, and proof of principle studies. Results of that activity include the formation of one start-up company, filing a half dozen patents, and receipt of “follow-on” funding from a federal agency."

For the full text of the Technology Transfer Tactics article please click here and scroll down to "Small TTOs Join Forces".

*The Ontario Partnership for Innovation and Commercializaton is a network of 7 Ontario universities: Brock, Lakehead, Laurentian, Nipissing, Ryerson, Trent and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, working together to increase technology transfer, commercialization and entrepreneurial culture.

For more information please contact: Karen Zavitz, Managing Director,OPIC

Presented by Ontario Partnership for Innovation and Commercialization
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