Guiding discoveries to the public
It’s tough to know everything. Harvard faculty members are authorities in their fields, and are adept at teaching and communicating with students and the public. But not all faculty members benefit from an innate business sense. That’s why the University established the Office of Technology Development (OTD) five years ago, overhauling how Harvard handles transferring technology from the laboratory to industry and, ultimately, to the public. Headed by Isaac Kohlberg, senior associate provost and chief technology development officer, OTD employs a staff of professionals who advise faculty members and promote ties to industry to ensure that the fruits of Harvard’s research don’t just languish in the lab and grace the pages of academic journals, but flow to the public. OTD has special teams dedicated to business development, intellectual property protection, and transactions. It secures patent protection on new inventions by the faculty. It structures and negotiates licensing agreements with industrial partners, and helps...