SIU-Carbondale recently celebrated the issuance of the school's 100th patent.
SIU-C's Economic and Regional Development Director Kyle Harfst says the total is actually up to 103 now. He says that number doesn't mean patents applied for, but those issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office as novel discoveries.
Harfst says the university is a true partner with the entrepreneurs.
"Patents costs are not cheap. You could be looking at, just as a starter, $15-20,000 to file a single patent application and have it be approved. It can go much larger than that. So, it's a large investment by the university, with the hope that there'll be a return through either a licensing with an existing business or success with a university spinout."
Harfst says investors first list their discoveries with the Office of Technology Transfer to see if the university will partner with them. If a patent is filed, the Economic Development Office and Research Park jump in to see if there is a business opportunity based on university intellectual property.
He says the patents cover a wide range of industries, allowing the university to match product delivery with the current marketplace.
"We recognized 13 different patents that have been filed in the past couple of years...ranging from synthesis of metal borates to an automated system for coal spiral to PH sensitive imaging. It's all across the spectrum."
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