March 5, 2007:The University of Massachusetts has maintained its strong position as a national leader in technology transfer, according to a recently-released survey published by the Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM). With more than $28 million in licensing income, UMass ranked 11th in the nation.
UMass earned the revenue from the licensing of rights to new drugs, software and other inventions in Fiscal Year 2005, the most recent data compiled by AUTM.
With MIT ranking 8th, UMass 11th and Harvard 12th, Massachusetts had three institutions atop the technology transfer survey. Not all universities participate in the annual review.
The survey highlights the contribution academic institutions make in the development of new, highly innovative products in the world economy.
"In addition to providing needed revenue for the University, these research discoveries lead to the creation of new companies and new jobs for Massachusetts citizens. They also result in medical and technological breakthroughs that improve the lives of people within the state, around the nation and throughout the world. These notable advances and successes aid us, as well, in recruiting the most talented researchers and students in the nation," said UMass President Jack M. Wilson.
President Wilson added, "As UMass Medical School Professor Dr. Craig Mello, co-recipient of the 2006 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine, has pointed out, UMass provides the kind of atmosphere that nurtures researchers and provides consistent support for their projects."
The University's annual licensing income has grown dramatically, from only $195,000 in Fiscal Year 1994 to more than $28 million in Fiscal Year 2005. Licensing revenues are reinvested in the UMass research enterprise, continuing the cycle of innovation and investment in UMass research. Research spending in FY2005 at UMass was over $376 million.
In related news, for the first time ever, UMass research surpassed the $400 million mark in FY2006 with nearly $404 million in sponsored research conducted on the University's five campuses.
Contact: Libby DeVecchi, 617.287.7023; William H. Wright, 617.287.7065