Mechanical and Materials Engineering Seminar

Intellectual Property & Innovation

Dana Bostrom, Director, Innovation & Industry Alliances, Portland State University

When and Where

16 Oct 2009 at 3:00 PM

Room 102, Engineering Building

Abstract

Intellectual property is a tool which can be used to advance (or crush) innovation. This presentation will review the process of research & how innovation develops, legal tools available for new innovation, and how universities and companies vary in their treatment of innovation. Innovation can be crushed, embraced, stolen or ignored -- by yourself, your collaborators, your competitors or the public. Identifying a strategy to achieve an outcome is necessary for each innovation, but in order to create a strategy, one must know what the innovation is, what could be done, and know how similar and dissimilar other innovations are to yours.

Speaker Biography

Dana Bostrom holds masters degrees in communication and information science, and prior to practicing innovation management, coached competitive intercollegiate speech and debate. She first joined the University of Washington's technology transfer office, specializing in software patents, database, trademark and digital media licensing. Bostrom served as Lead Instructor for and taught in the University of Washington Educational Outreach's Certificate Program in Intellectual Property Management. In 2005, Bostrom moved to the University of California, Berkeley to develop more robust and integrative approaches between licensing and research. In 2007, Bostrom launched Portland State's office of Innovation & Industry Alliances, working to develop a new culture of innovation and relationship management throughout the campus and community. The office increased licensing income and departments served dramatically, as well as increasing the number of student & faculty interactions with the Portland State Business Accelerator.