Improving the Commercialization of University Inventions
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Arundeep Pradhan and I agree on the fundamental issue: Our economy and our society need more innovation, and universities are a rich source. We just disagree on the best way to maximize their potential.
The core of that disagreement is about the value and role of university "technology licensing offices" (TLOs). Pradhan—who is president of the Association of University Technology Managers, essentially the TLO trade association—thinks the system is working just fine, according to his recent BusinesWeek.com column. I think it could be improved through more competition.