CHICAGO, April 7 /PRNewswire/ -- BIO 2006 Annual International Convention -- The Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM) announced today that it will focus its presence at BIO 2006 on shedding light on the significant impact technology transfer has had on not only the biotechnology industry, but the world.
AUTM aspires to tell this story through its recently-launched Better World Project, which is a compilation of more than 100 breakthroughs that have significantly improved the lives of people around the world. These breakthroughs include the development of the Google search engine, Habitrol Nicotine patch, treatments for neglected diseases, cancer drug Taxol, and the V-chip -- all of which might not exist today if not for the support of academic technology transfer.
“The Better World Project brings to life technologies that were born in academic institutions and have gone on to improve lives, contribute to the economy, generate hundreds of thousands of jobs and support further discoveries,” said John Fraser, president of AUTM. “From biotechnology to veterinary science, our lives absent of these developments would be dramatically different.”
A key element of the project is “The Better World Report,” a book containing 25 in-depth articles drawn from the hundreds of technology transfer cases contributed by AUTM members in the U.S. and Canada. Another important component of the project is the “Reports from the Field” publication, which includes 100 short stories about products now used in areas from biotechnology to veterinary science. The stories -- contributed by academic institutions in nearly every state and province in the U.S. and Canada -- show the breadth of academic research and how it leads to so many products that people use every day.
“We commend the Biotechnology Industry Organization for highlighting translational research as a focus of this year’s annual convention,” John Fraser said. “AUTM’s goal is to continue to tell the stories that truly make the world a better place and to urge further support of academic research, which is at the heart of technology transfer.”
“The Better World Project” and “Reports from the Field” will be available at the AUTM exhibit during BIO at McCormick Place in Chicago April 9-12 at booth 1531. The Better World Project is online at http://www.betterworldproject.net . Please contact Megan Davidson at 312.233.1276 or megan.davidson@edelman.com for additional information or to arrange a meeting with AUTM president John Fraser at BIO.
About AUTM
The Association of University Technology Managers is a nonprofit professional association. AUTM’s more than 3,500 members are intellectual property managers and business executives from universities, research institutions, teaching hospitals, government agencies and IP companies. The association’s mission is to advance the field of technology transfer, and to enhance the ability to bring academic and nonprofit research to people around the world. Read more at http://www.autm.net .
The Association of University Technology Managers
CONTACT: Megan Davidson for The Association of University TechnologyManagers, +1-312-233-1276, or megan.davidson@edelman.com
