Landmark legislation in the 1980s not only gave US universities the
right to retain title to patents from inventions arising from federally funded
research, but it also provided a critical impetus for US universities to
diligently commercialize these inventions in partnership with the private
sector. Unsurprisingly, a variety of technology transfer models have evolved
that universities employ to bring their groundbreaking science to commercial
application in the public good, models that reflect varying academic cultures,
university rewards systems, and the availability of resources to support
entrepreneurship. This seminar will examine the federal legislative
framework that gave birth to modern-day university-based technology transfer in
the U.S., the potential impact of the recently passed CHIPS and Science Act of
2022, and different universities’ approaches to technology transfer with
particular reference to the ongoing development of the food systems innovation
ecosystem at Cornell University.