Office of Technology Commercialization

WHAT WE DO

Our mission is to stimulate, protect, manage and transfer intellectual property from the University to the private sector for commercialization.

Office Location:
Insight Park
Phone:
(662) 915-7188
Office Hours
8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

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Office of Technology Commercialization

Transform your research into a venture

The Office of Technology Commercialization (OTC) supports researchers in transforming innovative ideas into ventures that create real-world impact. If you’re considering protecting your intellectual property, exploring industry partnerships, or launching a startup, our team is here to guide you through the process.

If you're a researcher wondering how to take your discoveries further, OTC is here to help.

Collaborate with us

The University of Mississippi offers industry partners a gateway to groundbreaking research and transformative technologies. To explore licensing opportunities and potential collaborations, visit our Industry page.

Learn More

Turning research into impact

University-driven research can translate into real-world applications, benefiting both the public and you.

Businesses based on licensed technologies

The University of Mississippi plays a pivotal role in translating innovative research into impactful business ventures. By licensing university-developed technologies, companies gain the tools to create market-ready products and services that drive innovation and economic growth.

Faculty-started businesses

Faculty at the University of Mississippi have not only advanced their fields through groundbreaking research but have also ventured into entrepreneurship, translating their discoveries into successful businesses.

Commonly asked questions

Technology transfer is the formal transfer of rights from UM to another party for the use and commercialization of new discoveries and innovations resulting from UM research. The major steps in the process include the disclosure of research innovations by UM researchers to OTC, filing a patent application to protect the innovation, and licensing the patent rights to industry for commercial development. Technology transfer, however, is much broader than just licensing patent rights. Technology transfer also includes transfer of knowledge through training and educating students, extension and outreach services to existing and startup companies, cooperative education and internships, consulting services, and collaborative research activities.

OTC is a research service unit. Our mission is to help UM researchers transfer research outcomes to the private sector for commercialization. We strive to increase the number of technologies licensed to commercial partners and to facilitate the formation of companies based on UM technologies. We are committed to managing an efficient process that is not burdensome and allows researchers to publish while we seek patent protection on inventions with commercial potential. We market technologies to potential licensees and manage the relationship post-licensing. We keep UM inventors involved throughout the patent prosecution and licensing process. We also review the intellectual property sections of collaborative research agreements to ensure UM’s rights are protected.

OTC’s mission is to help commercialize UM technologies by licensing technology to industrial partners and our employee start-ups. We focus our initial marketing efforts on companies and entrepreneurs in the local area. Existing companies may wish to license a technology to improve current operations or to expand product offerings. Local entrepreneurs may wish to establish a company based on a UM technology. Both existing and startup companies have the potential to create high-wage jobs in the local community. Local companies are also more likely to establish long-term collaborations with UM researchers and provide employment opportunities for UM students, keeping the best and brightest in the community.

Intellectual property (IP) is a legal concept that includes copyrights, trademarks, patents, and related rights, such as know-how. Under intellectual property law, the IP owner has certain exclusive rights to the covered creative work, commercial symbol, or invention. UM has two policies related to IP: the Patents and Inventions Policy – 2008 and the Copyright Policy. The Office of Technology Commercialization (OTC) is responsible for implementing and managing these IP policies.

OTC maintains a list of technologies available for licensing. OTC prepares 1- to 2-page non-confidential summaries of each technology for use in initial discussions with potential licensees. OTC also prepares brief confidential summaries and technical dossiers for review by potential licensees under a confidentiality agreement. Inventors will be asked to review these documents for accuracy.

The Vice Chancellor for Research and Economic Development is authorized to sign license agreements. The principal investigator involved in the technology will be asked to acknowledge the agreement. OTC is responsible for negotiating and executing license agreements. An express license agreement for potential industrial partners [LINK NEEDED] is available.