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When was the last time you managed an innovation from disclosure to successful commercialization without getting lost in fragmented tasks? For many tech transfer professionals, the answer might be "never."

The Fragmentation of Tech Transfer

Today's tech transfer professionals often find themselves trapped in a maze of disconnected tasks: responding to endless emails, updating patent databases, generating market reports, scheduling inventor meetings, and crafting marketing materials. Like factory workers who never see the finished product, we rarely get to focus on the complete journey of an innovation from lab to market.

Instead, we've become information routers in vast university bureaucracies. We bounce between disclosure forms, patent applications, market analyses, and licensee communications, each interruption breaking our strategic focus into smaller pieces. The very tools meant to make us more efficient have splintered our attention across a thousand urgent but disconnected tasks.

The AI Paradox: More Automation, Better Strategy

Here's where it gets interesting: AI might actually help us put the pieces back together. Instead of further fragmenting our work, AI can handle the scattered tasks that currently divide our attention:

• Automatically screening and categorizing new disclosures
• Generating initial market research reports
• Drafting preliminary responses to routine inquiries
• Managing follow-up communications with stakeholders

From Task Managers to Strategic Leaders

This transformation goes deeper than just managing emails. AI-powered systems can now:

• Transform meeting notes into actionable commercialization plans
• Connect related technologies across your portfolio
• Identify promising market opportunities across sectors
• Track and analyze licensee engagement patterns

This means tech transfer professionals can step back from being mere connection points in the innovation pipeline. Instead of spending our days routing information, we can focus on what that information means for our commercialization strategy.

The Return of the Complete Tech Transfer Professional

Imagine overseeing the entire commercialization journey again, from initial disclosure to successful market launch. With AI handling fragmented tasks, you can:

• Develop deeper relationships with inventors
• Create more sophisticated commercialization strategies
• Spot cross-portfolio opportunities
• Build stronger industry partnerships
• Focus on strategic decision-making

Using AI Without Losing the Human Touch

The key is approaching AI thoughtfully, considering:

• How to use AI to enhance rather than replace relationship building
• Ways to maintain strategic oversight while automating routine tasks
• Methods for preserving creative thinking in commercialization strategy

The Path Forward

The future of tech transfer doesn't have to be increasingly fragmented. By thoughtfully integrating AI, we can:

• Create protected space for strategic thinking
• Develop more comprehensive commercialization plans
• Build stronger relationships with stakeholders
• Focus on the complete innovation journey

Ready to make your tech transfer work whole again? Join us for AUTM's on-demand course "AI Strategy for Tech Transfer Success" and learn how to use AI to return to strategic innovation management.