By Omaha World-Herald Editorial Staff
University of Nebraska brainpower can be key asset for boosting Omaha and Nebraska’s economy. It’s important to understand the current successes in commercializing NU research and the need to remove obstacles to greater progress.
The University of Nebraska Medical Center and the University of Nebraska at Omaha, for example, are churning out an impressive number of patents each year. NU is doing energetic work to turn those research findings into products and services, working with a range of local partner organizations.
Of the 21 U.S. patents last year for UNMC and UNO research, 17 were licensed to nine different companies. “That means that’s 17 technologies are getting the additional support they need for further development,” says Michael Dixon, president and CEO of UNeMed, which helps UNMC and UNO obtain patents and licensing. (At the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, a counterpart entity called NUTech Ventures performs those duties.)