Annual Meeting Shows Importance of Advocacy
Mike Waring
AUTM Advocacy and Alliances Coordinator
March 4, 2026
The recent 2026 AUTM Annual Meeting in Seattle was a terrific gathering of tech transfer professionals and others who care about the work done on campuses and at institutions every day to make the world a better place.
More than 1,700 people from around the world converged on the Emerald City to talk licensing, compliance, legal strictures, and more. But there was also a focus on the need for AUTM to be advocating for its Members on a wide variety of issues.
Monday’s opening plenary – including the funny football video done by AUTM CEO Steve Susalka and Board Members Irene Abrams and Dan Dardani – not only played on the Super Bowl theme of the weekend but also homed in on the work that is needed to be done on an ongoing basis in Washington and across the nation at AUTM Member institutions.
As we learned last year when the AUTM Annual Meeting was held in D.C., the need for tech transfer offices to make outreach to the public and policymakers a part of their mission is critical. While you are not required to become lobbyists, you can provide ammunition, data, and stories that your government relations personnel can use to make the case for what we do.
Think of tech transfer professionals as “expert witnesses” who can testify to how the tech transfer process works and why it has been so successful for our nation. Then think of your government relations professionals as your “prosecuting attorneys,” helping you present your case in front of the “jury,” or in this case, lawmakers and their staffers.
One thing every tech transfer office has or should have is a list of the biggest and most important discoveries it has helped launch in recent years. That data – startups, patents, royalties, new jobs, training of students to become the scientists of tomorrow – all of it is valuable information. Putting that together in a cohesive way (as many offices do each year) creates a powerful story that can be shared with those in political power.
My Monday morning panel also focused on how to find third-party advocates for the work you. Local economic development agencies, events that showcase new businesses, chambers of commerce, and others can all help tell your story to policymakers in a way that feels objective and community driven. These and other partners are all terrific examples of how the work you do expands across your local and regional ecosystems.
As I write this, we continue to await a rumored effort by the White House to perhaps seek royalty payment sharing from inventions that reach the marketplace. We continue to urge the Senate Judiciary Committee to take up important bills that would strengthen patents and the internal patent review process at the USPTO. And we await a potential deal to renew the SBIR/STTR programs that are lifelines to up and coming companies.
Get in touch with your government relations team. Keep them in the loop on these and other issues. Invite them to invite policymakers to come learn how your institution is making a difference with the great inventions developed there. We can all play a small but key role in ensuring that technology transfer flourishes to benefit all.