Missouri University of Science and Technology’s office for Technology Transfer and Economic Development (TTED) took in almost $740,000 in royalties in the fiscal year that ended June 30.

Researchers who think they have an idea with patent potential can work with the S&T office of Technology Transfer and Economic Development (TTED) to submit an invention disclosure. Invention disclosures are confidential and are used for research that could be protected or have future commercial value. 

TTED received 33 invention disclosures during fiscal year 2023, an increase of over 30% from the previous year, and the office has already received 10 new invention disclosures for fiscal year 2024.

When inventions are suitable for patents, TTED assists their creators with the filing process. In the last year, TTED filed 41 new patent applications and was granted seven U.S. patents and four foreign patents. Among them was a patent issued in Chile for a project titled “Re-assembling Polymer Particle Package for Conformance Control and Fluid Loss Control.”

“The patent prosecution process in Chile is vastly harder than in other countries where we have filed,” says John Woodson, associate director of TTED. “It was a long and hard-fought battle to get the patent granted.”

TTED also works with companies on sponsored research agreements that develop university intellectual property for direct commercial use by the corporate sponsor. In October 2022, TTED completed a two-year project with Aerogel Technologies, a nanotechnology research firm in Boston. The office also negotiated a license agreement with an international petroleum company for a project that involves a new particle gel technology.

TTED serves as a hub for technology commercialization, entrepreneurship, business development and economic development at Missouri S&T. Its mission is to grow Missouri’s economy by advancing technology commercialization, encouraging entrepreneurship and promoting business opportunities. Find additional information about TTED at ecodevo.mst.edu.

About Missouri University of Science and Technology

Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) is a STEM-focused research university of over 7,000 students. Part of the four-campus University of Missouri System and located in Rolla, Missouri, Missouri S&T offers 101 degrees in 40 areas of study and is among the nation’s top 10 universities for return on investment, according to Business Insider. For more information about Missouri S&T, visit www.mst.edu.