CLDP hosted U.S. Consultations on Innovation and Technology transfer from July 7-July 21, 2012 in Washington, DC, Worcester, Massachusetts, and Stillwater, Oklahoma for Armenia and Georgia. The 19 participants from both countries included representatives from the leading academic institutions, NFSAT, National Academy of Sciences of Armenia, Intellectual Property Rights Center of Armenia, the Georgian Technology Transfer Center (GTTC), National Intellectual Property Center of Georgia, Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation, and Georgian business associations.

The participants met with the Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute at the University of Maryland, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and Oklahoma State University to learn about how to develop, manage, and promote technology transfer offices, how to train technology transfer specialists, how to link academic R&D to the private sector, securing funding, and how to manage the technology transfer process. Participants also met with USPTO, investor groups, a leading patent attorney, and SMEs in order to understand US technology transfer law and policy and the roles that academic institutions, government agencies, investor groups, IP attorneys, and the private sector play in the commercialization of technology.

Presentations focused on how to:  (1) develop, establish, and manage technology transfer offices, (2) develop a legislative and regulatory framework conducive to technology transfer from academia to the business community, (3) develop a process for effective dialogue between academia and industry, (4) develop entrepreneurship and technology transfer curricula for universities, and (5) manage the technology transfer process.

Future cooperation on innovation and technology transfer will include supporting the launch of an Armenian Commercialization Center and capacity building for the Georgian Technology Transfer Center.