Office of Technology Transfer
1 of 6: Inventors make industry work better
Smaller, better, more cost effective and sustainable are often goals of inventors
2 of 6: Wheat feeds the world
Patented U of I wheat varieties are grown throughout the Pacific Northwest
3 of 6: Medical discoveries save lives
Biomedical innovations are licensed out to the health industry
4 of 6: Oilseeds are vital to many industries
U of I patented mustard, canola and rapeseeds varieties are licensed to regional growers
5 of 6: Tri-state potatoes
New varieties are developed through an Idaho, Oregon and Washington partnership
6 of 6: Crop inspection
Idaho has the room to grow a variety of crops
The Office of Technology Transfer (OTT) is focused on transferring technology and providing benefit to the public. University technologies are licensed both to established companies and start-ups. The start-up development effort requires significantly more work than licensing to established companies, but has been an extremely active and rewarding portion of OTT. When a technology presents itself as a start-up opportunity, OTT is eager to promote and foster the start-up. The office provides guidance and assistance to the start-ups and is often willing to take a small equity stake in start-up companies in lieu of up-front fees and for the deferral of patent reimbursements. This enables the start-up to preserve capital, a critical aspect of early success.