The Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM) is an organization comprised of people involved in all aspects of protecting, licensing and managing academic intellectual property. The AUTM Annual Meeting is an opportunity for education, networking, and partnering between universities, research organizations, companies, and service providers. Although I have been working in the technology transfer field for a few years, this was my first time attending the annual meeting; it was a pleasure to be in such a large environment with many like-minded individuals and meet people working towards a common goal. Here are my thoughts as a first time attendee:
One thing that stood out to me was just how great a networking opportunity the AUTM Annual Meeting is. There are so many people who are willing to discuss issues, strategies and the crazy weather, not just in partnering meetings, but over a croissant or adult beverage. It is not every day that professionals from tech transfer offices, IP firms, and corporations around the world have the opportunity to relax and enjoy time together. Though they are not formal meetings, these informal interactions are opportunities to learn valuable information and build strong relationships; it truly fosters a feeling of community.
As OTT’s marketing manager, it was interesting to learn there are many offices that do not have a dedicated marketing role. It was “interesting,” but not entirely surprising because our industry is young and constantly evolving—sometimes out of necessity. We can see a shift, with many offices allocating more resources to marketing and relationship building. The 2015 Annual Meeting was host to a Marketing Course and Marketing Special Interest Group. During both, I met people whom are each a part of an office that has recently created or is creating a dedicated marketing role. It is a reminder of how young and adaptable our industry is, as well as confirmation of the value of the investment Emory OTT made in building the marketing role over the past five years.
The marketing courses were just two of the many activities occurring over the four days. That means it also only addressed a few of the many issues that arise in technology transfer. It is impressive that, despite the diversity of people coming together from different regions and very different universities, you see people discussing very similar issues. AUTM made clear that offices across the country grapple with similar, if not entirely the same, issues that ours does.
Despite being new and seeing the vast number and variety of courses, presentations, and meetings occurring at AUTM, one can’t help but feel that technology transfer is the epitome of a collegial industry. It became very clear very quickly that members of the various offices know each other well. Fortunately, many people are also friendly, which makes for a very welcoming environment.
To learn more about the Association of University Technology Managers, visit www.autm.net.
– Quentin Thomas