Useful Stats: 2004 AUTM Results, By State

The Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM) has released the 92-page summary report for its 14th annual survey of university licensing, revealing steady growth in the field. AUTM U.S. Licensing Survey: FY 2004 provides quantitative information about licensing activities at universities, hospitals and research institutions across North America.

With a 25 percent increase above 2003 figures in the number of starts-ups formed as a result of academic research, the 2004 survey reverses declines posted in each of the two previous surveys. Also, at least 635 new products were introduced to the market during the year, the survey found.

SSTI has prepared a summary table by state and province of selected data from the 2004 survey, including: total research expenditures, number of licenses executed, research funding relating to licenses, total licensing income, number of licenses yielding income, invention disclosures received, patent applications filed, U.S. patents issued and number of licensed technology that became available in 2004. Users should note because 12 survey respondents requested AUTM treat their responses anonymously, the figures for these institutions are not included in the data available to SSTI to create the summary table: http://www.ssti.org/Digest/Tables/112105t.htm

For the first time, the 2004 survey asked respondents to provide details about the types of invention disclosures and patent application filed as well as initial funding for new start-up companies. This final topic should be of interest to policymakers because it provides some of the best data yet about funding in the very earliest, highest-risk stages of bringing innovation to the public.

Another first is that AUTM will publish separate summary reports for the U.S. and Canada, completing the process of increased focus on Canada that started two years ago. The U.S. Licensing Survey Summary covers technology transfer activities at 198 institutions; the Canadian Licensing Survey Summary, scheduled for release in the first quarter of 2006, shares data from 34 institutions.

Highlights of the FY 2004 U.S. Licensing Survey Summary include:

• Research funding responding at U.S. institutions is up 7.1 percent compared with FY 2003, and staffing levels are up 4.9 percent to an average 4.3 licensing FTEs per office.
• Invention disclosures among U.S. institutions increase to 16,871, up 8.8 percent from FY 2003, while patents issued decrease 6.4 percent to 3,680.
• U.S. institutions execute nearly 4,800 new licenses or options, up 6.1 percent from FY 2003, and more than two-thirds are with newly formed or existing small companies.
• In 2004, 462 new companies based on academic discovery begin operations in North America; 74.5 percent are in the originating institution’s home state/province.
• Institutions responding to the survey report introducing 3,114 new products to the marketplace since 1998.

AUTM members can download a PDF of the FY 2004 U.S. Licensing Survey Summary through the AUTM Web site, and can purchase printed copies at discounted price. Nonmembers also can purchase printed copies of the summary. Details are at www.autm.net.

More information about the FY 2004 Canadian Survey Summary will be available in the coming months. The FY 2004 Full Report, which includes all raw data collected through the Licensing Survey and additional charts and tables, also will be available in 2006.

For questions about survey figures, contact Ashley Stevens, AUTM survey editor at  (617) 353-4550 or astevens@bu.edu.

Contact AUTM headquarters for information about pricing and availability of the U.S. Survey Summary, Canadian Survey Summary and Full Report.