There is a flurry of activity on the University of Missouri campus related to technology transfer. The technology transfer group is all but taking over the third-floor offices in the Bond Life Sciences Center. In engineering, newly constructed offices will house a technology transfer staff about equal in number to the number of engineering faculty who are actively trying to commercialize technology through the university. In addition, President Gary Forsee is giving an additional $5 million to the business incubator center.
The MU faculty would gladly welcome a technology transfer office that would regularly succeed in commercializing the employee-inventors’ technologies. For many of us, few things are more motivating than to see our laboratory breakthroughs make it to commercialization where they can help society.
Sadly, the MU technology transfer groups do not rise to this challenge. The need for a $5 million influx of funds to the business incubator is evidence of this — that center was supposed to be self-sufficient. An absence of companies using the facility, however, necessitates that someone step up to pay the mortgage.
To read the full, original article click on this link: Current system patently stupid | ColumbiaTribune.com
Author: GALEN SUPPES
