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������, in collaboration with Ohio’s public universities, has pledged support for Lt. Gov. Jon Husted’s “Ohio Intellectual Property (IP) Promise,” a collaborative effort to strengthen Ohio’s innovation economy, attract innovative researchers and serve as a magnet for investors and entrepreneurs.  

“Kent State and Ohio’s public universities play a crucial role in fueling the state’s economy by fostering a culture of innovation and discovery,” said Todd Diacon, president of Kent State. “We believe this collaborative effort to streamline commercialization of university research will also make it easier to attract and support faculty researchers and entrepreneurs.”

Research at Kent State focuses on solving major global challenges in energy, healthcare and education, and the university partners closely with industry to move research discoveries into the marketplace to create jobs and economic vitality. By working with companies early in the research and technology development process, Kent State researchers can develop innovative solutions to real problems and access state and federal funding for public-private partnerships.

“A major goal of ������ is to partner with industry to ensure that the exciting discoveries made by our faculty are transformed into novel products, therapies and software that will positively impact the world,” said Paul DiCorleto, vice president for research and sponsored programs at Kent State. “The easier we can make this process the better.”

The IP Promise contains a set of guiding principles that will serve as a foundation for the universities’ efforts to boost research and technology commercialization in Ohio:

• Flexible: Provide industry choices for accessing intellectual property developed through sponsored research.
• Transparent: Publish template sponsored research and license agreements.
• Simple: Deliver fair and streamlined guidelines for faculty creator startups.
• Clear: Communicate licensing processes on university websites in a clear, prominent way.
• Easy: Provide well-defined university entry points for industry, investors and entrepreneurs.
• Fast: Reduce impediments that hinder the pace of transactions.

“Kent State looks forward to working closely with the DeWine Administration to bring the lieutenant governor’s IP Promise vision to fruition,” Diacon said.

For more information about research at Kent State, visit www.kent.edu/research. 

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Media Contacts:
Eric Mansfield, emansfie@kent.edu, 330-672-2797
Emily Vincent, evincen2@kent.edu, 330-672-8595