Magnolia ��ӽ紫ý’s ‘innovation ecosystem’ includes vital role played by ��ӽ紫ý’s Office of Technology Management

Mississippi ��ӽ紫ý chemical engineering professor Santanu Kundu observes an electrospinning device in Swalm Chemical Engineering Building. — Mississippi ��ӽ紫ý chemical engineering Professor Santanu Kundu observes an electrospinning device in Swalm Chemical Engineering Building. This year, Kundu and Bill Elmore, ��ӽ紫ý Department of Chemical Engineering director and Earnest W. Deavenport Jr. chair, were among faculty and staff who developed new intellectual property or earned patents on or licensed new technology. (Photo by Megan Bean)

STARKVILLE, Miss.—With a portfolio of intellectual properties spanning new blueberry varieties to the next generation of wearable technologies, Mississippi ��ӽ紫ý’s Office of Technology Management is helping the Magnolia ��ӽ紫ý’s leading scientists patent their ideas and take them to market, all while protecting public investments in research.

A portrait of John Walters. — John Walters (Photo by Grace Cockrell)

According to Director John Walters, OTM is a “small cog in the big engine of innovation”—one that helped the Magnolia ��ӽ紫ý’s leading land-grant institution conduct approximately $319 million in Fiscal Year 2024 research and spur almost $2 billion in pre-pandemic economic impact, according to a past Emsi report. The unit is ��ӽ紫ý’s primary organization leading researchers down the path to commercialization of their work via patent, copyright and trademark, all while protecting faculty and staff patents and other intellectual properties.

“Mississippi ��ӽ紫ý is a leader in applied research. Our research has purpose—an end goal of not only bringing new ideas to market but also making life better for all Mississippians,” Walters said. “That $319 million in research has a multiplier effect, as research turns into products and services. Selling those products and services turns them into new investments, including jobs and salaries which buy food, necessities and luxury items—true economic impact across the state.”

In FY 2024, OTM helped researchers file 39 disclosures—the first step taken to secure protection for novel intellectual property—and 25 new patents, all while watching 14 previously filed patents come to fruition. Additionally, seven exclusive licensing agreements were executed, and almost $300,000 in licensing revenue was generated.

“��ӽ紫ý’s portfolio is tremendous. My wife was joking about how I’m like a kid in a candy shop because I’m talking about blueberries one day and then software to launch rockets the next,” Walters said. “Getting these patents and distributing royalty checks are my favorite parts of the job. They’re also great validation for the work being done by our faculty and staff, and a great recruitment tool for the university.”

With agreements and licensing revenues trending higher in the last five fiscal years and filed patents outpacing pre-pandemic numbers, Walters said he expects both metrics to continue increasing in the future.

“Right now, we’re standing on a lot of the work done and processes started around 2020. As we see the number of patents filed trend up, we’ll hopefully see more successes in the coming years. All our successes point to a very bright future for ��ӽ紫ý,” he said. “Steel sharpens steel, and all this success will breed success. Our goal as a service organization is to be closely enmeshed with researchers across campus, and we must make sure we’re present and an open, welcoming environment for ideas. Moving forward, we have to continue identifying how OTM plays a larger role in the innovation ecosystem not only at ��ӽ紫ý but for the entire state of Mississippi.”

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