AUTM Releases 2003 Survey: Firm starts down, growth slows for many other measures

Even with record participation from 165 U.S. universities and 32 research hospitals, the 13th annual licensing survey conducted by the Association of University of Technology Managers (AUTM) reveals a 6.7 percent drop in the number of start-up companies created with technology licensed from the responding schools.

AUTM Licensing Survey: FY 2003 provides information about licensing activities at a record-high 197 U.S. and 38 Canadian universities, hospitals and research institutions. The survey is presented in two separate reports for U.S. and Canadian institutions for the first time.

In addition to licenses and options executed, the survey tracks new commercial products, new companies established, and royalty revenue.

The U.S. report reveals continued growth in the academic technology transfer field. Data from fiscal year 2003 shows U.S. establishments continue to experience increased investment in such areas as research funding, which was up 10.1 percent over the prior year. In FY 2003, U.S. offices also experienced growth in invention disclosures (up 7.7 percent), patent applications (up 8.2 percent), and license income (up 5.5 percent).

The results indicate slower growth than in past years. AUTM suggests this is due to difficult economic conditions or the maturing of the technology transfer field.

New to the AUTM survey summary for 2003 are 25 technology transfer success stories in the U.S. and Canada. A 66-page public version of the summary, minus Canadian data, is available for download at: http://www.autm.net/surveys/03/FY03SurveySummaryPublic.pdf

The full report of the AUTM Licensing Survey: FY 2003 will be available for purchase from AUTM at http://www.autm.net. More information regarding the Canadian section of the survey summary will be available in the coming months.