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Industry Collaboration

The Ohio IP Promise

A collaboration developed by Ohio's lieutenant governor and the Inter-University Council of Ohio unites Ohio's 14 public universities under a forward-thinking approach to intellectual property (IP) licensing.

This statewide initiative sets a high standard for IP management to strengthen Ohio’s economy, attract top-tier researchers and draw investors and entrepreneurs:

  1. Flexibility: Offers diverse options for accessing IP developed through sponsored research.
  2. Transparency: Provides publicly available templates for sponsored research and licensing agreements.
  3. Simplicity: Establishes fair, streamlined guidelines for faculty-founded startups.
  4. Clarity: Clearly communicates licensing processes on university websites.
  5. Ease: Creates defined university entry points for industry, investors and entrepreneurs.
  6. Speed: Minimizes potential barriers to expedite transactions.

This approach establishes a dynamic ecosystem where Ohio universities, researchers, entrepreneurs, investors and industries collaborate to bring high-impact innovations to market faster, contributing to the state’s economic growth and quality of life.

As part of the Ohio IP Promise, UC simplified its licensing process to ensure clarity, speed and accessibility for commercializing Ohio innovations. Below are UC's key licensing options:

*Industry research tiers: IP terms for companies engaging in sponsored research at UC

Tier 1: Nonexclusive royalty-free license (NERF)

Tier 2: Exclusive license with preset royalty

Tier 3: Ownership assigned to sponsor

 

  • Express License/Option: Dedicated to faculty and entrepreneurs launching startups based on UC-owned IP.
  • Express Option Agreement: Grants startups a right of first refusal and sets licensing terms prior to launch.
  • Express License Agreement: Standard licensing terms for technology graduating from the Venture Lab.

 

Since the Ohio IP Promise's implementation, UC has seen substantial growth in innovation metrics (fiscal years 2018–2022 vs. fiscal years 2013–2017):

  • Invention disclosures by UC faculty have risen 51% (from 546 to 823).
  • Patents filed by UC faculty have risen 62% (from 583 to 944).
  • Patents issued to UC faculty have risen 94% (from 83 to 161).
  • Deals with UC faculty have risen 109% (from 55 to 115).
  • Startups going through UC's Venture Lab — which helps would-be entrepreneurs explore the commercial potential of products and services — have increased from around two per year to an average of 14 per year.
  • Total investment dollars from private firms and grants now exceed $122 million.
  • U.S. News & World Report ranked the University of Cincinnati among the 100 most innovative universities in 2022.
  • The National Academy of Inventors ranked UC among the top 100 organizations in the U.S. with patents in 2023.
  •  Heartland Forward ranked Ohio as one of the most innovative states in 2022 and placed it first in the Midwest.