Schedule-at-a-Glance*

June 26-29
Omni Frisco Hotel
Frisco, TX
*Tentative schedule, program subject to change

	Sunday, June 26
4 – 5 p.m.	Registration

 

	Day 1 - Monday, June 27
7:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.	Registration
7:30 – 8:30 a.m.	Breakfast
8:30 – 10 a.m.	Plenary Session I: Innovation Districts: The Power of Playing Nice The rise of Innovation Districts across the U.S. reflects an emerging trend in the advancement of initiatives that enable innovation-rich ecosystems. Districts may differ from city to city, but most all create synergistic ecosystems that are led by universities, companies, entrepreneurs, and advocates. This session features discussions and offers insights on the value of Innovation Districts and how they develop collaborative and sustainable economies that fuel innovation, foster creativity, increase competitiveness, and improve a region’s quality of life. Panelists will also address how Innovation Districts are used to attract existing companies to relocate, adding stable jobs around fast-paced, emerging companies.
10 – 10:30 a.m.	Networking Break
10:30 a.m. – Noon	Plenary Session II – Corporate Social Innovation
Noon – 1:30 p.m.	Lunch with the Experts
1:30 – 3 p.m.	Workshops A1: What Industry Wants Learn what industry representatives, from a broad cross section of fields, are seeking from university licensing and collaborative research partnerships. Companies will pitch their wants and needs to attendees at a rapid-fire pace. Participants will gain insights on connecting with the right industry colleagues for licensing and collaborative research opportunities. A2: Trade Secrets: Formation, Protection, and Commercialization. Trade secrets - the most common intellectual property – are formed constantly throughout every creative endeavor. All other intellectual properties (with one exception) owe their existence to a trade secret. This session will discuss what is a trade secret – and the Uniform Trade Secrets Act and the versions of it adopted by all but two states – and what are some simple, and enforceable methods of protecting and commercializing trade secrets, particularly when there is no time or an opportunity to enter into a written agreement. Specific topics – such as trade secret clauses in “electronic” contracts and non-disparagement clauses that sometime accompany trade secret clauses – will be discussed also.
3 – 3:30 p.m.	Networking Break
3:30 – 5:00 p.m.	Plenary III: Newest News Now! This session is all about current tech transfer topics, delivered in a quick-hit style. Presentations will cover five areas selected from the universe of current domestic and international business, legal, and technical topics. Presenters will respond to attendees’ questions and comments during a Q&A. We anticipate that the conversations started here will continue to flow into the Opening Reception that follows.
5:30 – 7 p.m.	Opening Reception

 

	Day 2 - Tuesday, June 28
7:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.	Registration
7:30 – 8:30 a.m.	Breakfast
8:30 – 9:30 a.m.	Workshops B1: Competition or Collaboration? Understanding the Opposing Viewpoints of the Players in a University License Negotiation Have you been lucky enough to observe a university license negotiation without being on one side of the deal? Do you wonder what it would be like to be the proverbial fly on the wall during a negotiation, able to buzz in and have the benefit of “perfect information”? Or do you just want a chance to watch someone else negotiate while you sip your coffee, not really worried about the outcome and how it will impact your metrics? If any of these questions spark your curiosity, come and watch as university licensing experts and external/startup licensing experts are given a set of facts and asked to role play their way to a license agreement. The session participants will be provided with each negotiating party’s marching orders, giving you a unique perspective as you watch the negotiations unfold. B2: Foreign Influence in Rapidly Changing Word The landscape of a rapidly changing political world continues to have significant effects on research at academic institutions. The nationality of researchers and sponsors, as well as significant considerations on how research can be licensed for commercial use. Our panel will discuss recent issues in how government regulations and orders are affecting this landscape, their thoughts on what the future holds for academic institutions on this issue, and a discussion of how institutions are best managing these issues going forward.
9:30 – 9:45 a.m.	Networking Break
9:45 – 10:45 a.m.	Workshops C1: Trademarks: The Good the Bad the Ugly C2: Research and Commercialization of Controlled Substances Interest in the therapeutic use of cannabis and psilocybin continue to grow, regulatory restrictions still provide challenges for academic research, funding, and licensing. Our panel will discuss the current state on therapeutic research of controlled substances, the current state of federal funding for such controlled substances, and the outlook on the federal and state regulatory landscape for the uses of such substances.
10:45 – 11:00 a.m.	Networking Break
11:00 – 11:15 a.m.	AUTM Chair Address
11:15 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.	Plenary IV: Horror Stories from University Startups
12:30 – 1:45 p.m.	Lunch
1:45 – 3:15 p.m.	Workshops D1: Getting University Faculty to ENGAGE IN Technology Commercialization A panel that discusses experiences addressing the challenge of getting university faculty to engage in the technology commercialization process, from disclosure to new venture launch. Topics addressed will include obstacles to faculty participation; innovative policies and programs that have experienced some success, such as I-Corp; and suggestions for novel approaches. We are looking for an interactive session so bring your stories to share! D2: Russian IP
3:15 – 3:45 p.m.	Networking Break
3:45 – 5:15 p.m.	Plenary V: AUTM Central Region Trivia Contest If you think you have what it takes, or just want to meet some new people, join us for what promises to be a fun hour or two. Who knows, you may even learn something. Charles Valauskas and his merry band of graders return with a few more tricks to keep the crowd entertained at the perennial favorite returning for its 15th year.
6:30 – 9 p.m.	Off Site Reception

 

	Day 3 - Wednesday, June 29
7:30 – 10 a.m.	Registration
7:30 – 8:30 a.m.	Breakfast
8:30 – 10 a.m.	Workshops E1: Life Hacks for TTers? These days, technology transfer offices are under-staffed and over-extended and adding team members is challenging for a number of reasons. This session will provide tips and tricks and tools to help maximize the office's productivity and efficiency without breaking the budget. E2: The Impact of War on IP
10 – 10:30 a.m.	Networking Break
10:30 a.m. – Noon	Plenary Session VI - The Howard Bremer Memorial Plenary - The TTO is Dead? Long Live the TTO!: Reflecting on the Past, Present, and Future of our Profession Named in honor of long-time WARF patent counsel and a founding father of the Bayh-Dole Act, this session serves as the culmination of the meeting and is intended to inspire and offer food for thought for attendees to take home. The title is a riff on a recent (and intentionally provocative) AUTM Annual session entitled “The Death of the University TTO in the United States.” We’ll continue the lively conversation from that panel with experienced Central Region leaders who will reflect on where tech transfer came from, how far we’ve come in recent years, and where we go from here.
Noon	Meeting Adjourns