Tech Transfer: Innovate Collaborate Oregon
By Linda Barney, Barney and Associates

In this OBA Conference panel discussion, technology transfer office representatives from the four major research universities described research collaborations and start-up company formations.

Moderator Jeff King, chief operating officer at Virogenomics, pointed out that Oregon is one of the few states with a portal focusing on university research and innovation. The website called Innovate Collaborate Oregon (ICO) features innovations and opportunities from four of Oregon’s premier research universities:Oregon Health & Science University, Oregon State University,Portland State University and University of Oregon. Using this site,you can search available technologies, researchers or other fields.Each technology or project summary provides a specific contact at the respective institution. Information is also available at ONAMI, Oregon Built Environment & Sustainable Technologies Center (Oregon BEST) and an Innovation Showcase focusing on medical devices that will beheld later in the year.

The panel also responded to comments made in the “Why Are We Here?” session that there needed to be more collaboration with university research departments and that tech transfer departments were taking too long to move company applications through the approval process. A lively audience discussion was held at the end of the session.

University of Oregon Spinoff—Floragenex

Chuck Williams of the tech transfer office at the University of Oregon talked about the power of Oregon collaboration with the spinoff of a company called Floragenex. The company was founded in 2006 by Dr. Eric Johnson and Nathan Lillegard as a spinout of the University of Oregon Technology Entrepreneurship Program. The Floragenex vision is bringing advanced genomic technology to under-served markets in plant science and basic research.  The technology is based on Professor Eric Johnson’s Restriction Site Associated DNA (RAD) tech platform. 

Graduate students in the U of O Entrepreneurship Program looked at the feasibility of turning the intellectual property into a company. The technology transfer office worked with the City of Eugene for permits on a business park near the school. Funding came from a City of Eugene small business development loan, an ONAMI grant, and a University of Oregon venture launch grant from the University Fund. The company used a DNA sequencer at the university to help save costs. Staff did extensive collaboration with other groups including PSU Lab2Market mentoring, Microproducts Breakthrough Institute, an Angel conference and OHSU.

Oregon Health Sciences University Spinoff—Gamma Therapeutics

Andrew Watson, technology development officer at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) described the technology transfer process there. If research leads to a discovery, the technology transfer office looks at moving the technology out into a spinout company. The OHSU Bioscience Innovation Program (BSIP) provides proof-of-concept funding for commercially promising inventions. Researchers complete BSIP proposals to be approved for funding. Business interns in the technology transfer office provide legal, business plan and marketing help. The Springboard Program is designed to catalyze the development of new ventures based on OHSU technologies. It covers the cost of legal and accounting experts and facilitates business and strategic plan development. Founders of Springboard companies are also enrolled in Oregon Graduate Institute’s Real World Entrepreneurship, a business development program designed for technologists and taught by leading business experts. Since 2004, 11 companies were funded by Springboard, 5 potential start-ups received funds, and 5 have BSIP grants. There have been 37 start-up companies arising from OHSU research and 25 of the companies are in Oregon.

Portland State University Spinoff—Flash Sensor Technologies

Joseph Janda, Portland State University technology transfer officer, described how Portland State University maximizes the impact of PSU innovation, creates and implements strategy to see PSU innovation in action, and works with PSU researchers and companies to assist in entering into research or development collaborations. PSU also uses sponsored research and collaborations from outside requests and IP as a tool for collaboration. PSU has collaborated with IBM, Battelle, Sun Microsystems, Oregon Steel Mills, American Bridge, Boeing, LSI,Nautilus, Gulf of Mexico currents with RPSE (DOE, BP, Chevron) and the electric cars initiative with Toyota, PGE, eTech, and Portland.

Start-up companies can apply for admission to the Portland State Business Accelerator, which is a business incubator for the industry clusters of green tech & sustainability, IT & software, and biotech/bioscience. Companies locating at the PSBA gain affordable office and/or lab space with very flexible lease terms. They also can benefit from a range of support services that are designed to help speed each company’s time to market. As a result of cost controls and business development support, participating companies have a high probability of success. To date, 84% of companies have been successful, compared to typical success rates of 20%-40% for new start-ups .

PSU was involved in the spinout of Flash Sensor Technology (FST), a company with an electronic diagnostic platform for the point-of-care market. The FST platform enables the detection of protein biomarkers in complex samples such as blood and saliva. This company was spun off Virogenomics when the direction of research changed.

Oregon State University Product—Meadowfoam

Dr Mary Phillips from Oregon State University described how a variety of sites talk about the need to innovate and collaborate. Phillips stated, “All labels are driven by people with a vision or some sort of problem to solve. Reasons for collaborating are different. The OBA is interested in problems or visions that we want to see in the state. Collaborations are leading to unexpected innovations and outcomes.” Phillips described an unexpected innovation in Meadowfoam, which is an oily plant useful for cosmetic industry, biodiesel, ink cartridge, etc. OSU developed seed that could be used for planting Meadowfoam.

Phillips indicated, “There are many university resources available, including equipment, knowledge,expertise and an educated workforce working to leverage innovations.Universities can also do testing for companies at fee-for-cost. The greatest product universities put out is the students. Companies can contribute to the collaboration by interacting with university students and providing internships as part of their mission to provide an educated workforce .”

Linda Barney is the founder and owner of Barney and Associates, a technical / marketing writing, training and web design firm in Beaverton,Oregon that provides writing and web content for the high tech,government, biotechnology, medical, sustainability and scientific communities. Linda writes articles for the Software Association of Oregon, the Oregon Bioscience Association, the Clean Technology Alliance, and the Supercomputing Conference. Contact Linda at linda@barneyassoc.com.