RECOGNIZING THE ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITY TECHNOLOGY MANAGERS ANNIVERSARY

RECOGNIZING THE ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITY TECHNOLOGY MANAGERS ANNIVERSARY

Congressional Record, Volume 171 Issue 39 (Thursday, February 27, 2025) [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 39 (Thursday, February 27, 2025)] [Senate] [Pages S1426-S1427] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] RECOGNIZING THE ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITY TECHNOLOGY MANAGERS ANNIVERSARY Mr. TILLIS. Mr. President, as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, I rise to celebrate the Association of University Technology Managers' 50th anniversary. The Society of University Patent Administrators, known as SUPA, was first formed in 1975 to focus on how best to advance discoveries from university labs into the marketplace. In the decades since, SUPA was renamed the Association of University Technology Managers and now is known as AUTM. They championed the 1980 Bayh-Dole Act, which allowed universities and inventors to retain the intellectual property rights of discoveries made using Federal funding and helped technology transfer blossom. [[Page S1427]] Technology transfer has had a profound effect on the American economy and is estimated to have created more than 19,000 startup companies, up to 6.5 million jobs, and $2 trillion in economic impact since 1996. Technology transfer, via AUTM and the many inventors that they assist, help ensure that the United States remains the world leader in innovation. Therefore, on behalf of myself and Senator Chris Coons--my longtime partner on the IP Subcommittee--I recognize AUTM's 50th anniversary and commend the many technology transfer professionals on their successes to make our Nation safer, more vibrant, and healthier. ____________________