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AUTM on the Air

AUTM on the Air

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AUTM on the AIR is the weekly podcast that brings you conversations about the impact of research commercialization and the people who make it happen. Join us for interviews with patent and licensing professionals, innovators, entrepreneurs, and tech transfer leaders on the issues and trends that matter most.

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Episodios
  • Rethinking the Future of University Funding with Dr. Yasheng Huang

    Rethinking the Future of University Funding with Dr. Yasheng Huang
    Dec 3 2025

    There’s a fundamental shift happening in the world of American research universities, and people across higher education are feeling it. Funding that once seemed dependable is now uncertain, and the pressure coming from political and economic changes is hard to overlook. More and more, leaders and researchers are asking tough questions about how the current system can keep up, and what needs to evolve to protect the future of discovery and innovation.

    Today’s guest, Dr. Yasheng Huang, brings a thoughtful and deeply informed perspective to that conversation. He is the Epic Foundation Professor of Global Economics and Management at the MIT Sloan School of Management, and one of the world’s leading voices on global innovation systems, technology policy, and the Chinese economy. He has written 13 books, including Capitalism with Chinese Characteristics, named Best Book of 2008 by The Economist, and The Rise and Fall of the East, selected by Foreign Affairs as its Best Book of 2023. His recent article in Nature, Universities Must Harness Their Financial Value, has sparked an important debate across higher education.

    In this episode, Dr. Huang talks about why the traditional funding compact between universities and the federal government is breaking down, why universities create extraordinary economic value that they rarely capture, and what bold new approaches might protect the future of research. He also shares a candid warning about the risk of losing scientific talent, and why innovation within university finance may be essential to preserving the innovation ecosystem itself.


    In This Episode:

    [02:15] Dr. Huang explains why he opened his Nature article with a comparison between university endowments and Elon Musk’s wealth.

    [04:02] Discussion on the imbalance between perceived university wealth and actual financial resources needed for research.

    [06:51] Historical accumulation of endowments vs. rapid individual wealth creation highlights the funding disparity.

    [08:29] The economic impact of university-driven innovation and the paradox of unrecognized value.

    [09:51] Examples of Stanford and MIT entrepreneurship driving massive global GDP value that universities cannot record financially.

    [12:52] Dr. Huang reflects on the communication gap between universities and the general public about research impact.

    [16:39] Explanation of the historic “social compact” between universities and the federal government after World War II.

    [18:00] How legislative changes enabled university-owned IP and helped spark modern entrepreneurship.

    [20:00] The consequences of current funding suspensions, budget cuts, and a proposed tax on endowment income.

    [21:40] Rising costs of scientific research and the increasing scale of talent and equipment needed to sustain discovery.

    [24:53] Funding imbalances across disciplines, with material science and energy research falling behind.

    [27:59] Licensing revenue limitations and why patent income cannot sustain university budgets alone.

    [34:49] The Weizmann Institute model and lessons from more aggressive IP commercialization strategies.

    [37:51] The tension between commercialization and academic values, and the need for responsible guardrails.

    [39:14] Proposal to explore taxing a small portion of faculty outside consulting income to support shared research infrastructure.

    [46:55] Discussion of equity across disciplines and why financial benefits rarely flow to the broader academic community.

    [52:06] The risk of losing scientific talent to other countries and historical examples of long-term consequences.

    [59:55] A hopeful note about recent elections and restoring confidence in the stability of democratic institutions.

    [1:00:28] Reflections on academic freedom and the need for bold innovation in university funding models.


    Resources:

    Yasheng Huang - MIT Management Sloan School

    Yasheng Huang - MIT Center for International Studies

    Universities Under Fire Must Harness More Of The Financial Value They Create

    Capitalism with Chinese Characteristics: Entrepreneurship and the State

    The Rise and Fall of the East
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    1 h y 3 m
  • Improving Mental Health Across IP and Tech Transfer with Jane Wainwright

    Improving Mental Health Across IP and Tech Transfer with Jane Wainwright
    Nov 19 2025
    Mental health is increasingly a focus in Tech Transfer as people try to keep pace with heavy workloads, fast-moving deadlines, and the pressure to make the right call with limited time and information. To bring more attention to what professionals are experiencing, we’re opening a new series on wellbeing and resilience with a conversation featuring today’s guest, Jane Wainwright. This series will look at the challenges many carry quietly and highlight approaches that support healthier, more sustainable workplaces across research commercialization.Jane has spent more than twenty years at Potter Clarkson and led the firm’s biotechnology practice. Over the course of her career, she managed global life sciences portfolios, supported clients through demanding legal and scientific issues, and served in senior leadership roles. Alongside that work, she trained as a mental health first aider, earned advanced coaching credentials, founded Starry-Eyed Pragmatics, and joined the advisory board of Jonathan’s Voice, a charity dedicated to mental health within the IP profession.We discuss the pressures she has seen across both patent practice and tech transfer, from perfectionism and tight timelines to the “always on” habits that leave many people exhausted. She shares what she’s seen help in real workplaces, including more substantial support from leadership and better ways to share responsibility for urgent matters. Jane also reflects on how small culture shifts can make it easier for people to do their work without feeling overwhelmed. It’s a practical, honest way to start this new series and a conversation many listeners will recognize from their own environments.In This Episode:[01:03] Jane’s background in high-pressure patent work sets the stage for discussing mental health challenges.[01:32] The conversation outlines the real consequences of missed deadlines and the constant pressure to get things right.[02:26] Jane’s shift toward mental health advocacy and her work with Jonathan’s Voice comes into focus.[03:04] She describes the mental health landscape in IP and why perfectionism and long hours contribute to hidden struggles.[04:03] Jane shares her personal experience with depression and anxiety and explains how it shaped her advocacy.[07:57] We discuss how global uncertainty, rapid change, and AI concerns add new layers of stress.[09:19] Data from a wellbeing survey highlights how deadlines, workloads, and client demands affect IP professionals.[12:42] Differences in workload stress across regions and firm sizes come up as contributors to burnout.[14:54] Why perfectionism makes it hard for teams to accept "good enough" under tight timelines.[17:21] We address why many feel unable to take time off and how workload pressure affects vacation habits.[18:22] Jane talks about surface-level wellness initiatives versus meaningful organizational change.[19:34] She emphasizes the importance of team structures that share responsibility and reduce overload.[21:01] The role of teamwork and continuity planning in reducing stress becomes a central theme.[22:07] Strategies for very small TTOs and solo practitioners are explored, including outsourcing and prioritization.[23:18] The importance of having a support network and access to confidential help is discussed.[24:57] Jane reflects on her transition from partner to full-time wellbeing and coaching work.[29:03] We examine how senior leaders view mental health and the need to “meet them where they are.”[30:29] Generational differences in attitudes toward mental health begin to shift firm culture.[32:35] Emotional intelligence is highlighted as a core competency for supporting healthy teams.[35:31] Leadership modeling of healthy behavior helps build psychological safety.[35:47] What actually works beyond wellness perks, including trust and clear expectations.[37:59] Jane discusses role modeling, healthy boundaries, and avoiding the “always available” culture.[40:21] Emotional intelligence as a learnable skill is explored, including how it evolves.[41:54] Signs of cultural change give Jane hope, alongside growing awareness and new generations entering the field.[44:03] Real progress takes time, especially in high-workload environments like U.S. law firms.[44:47] Why mental health and organizational performance are deeply connected.Resources: Starry-Eyed PragmaticsJane Wainwright - LinkedInJonathan’s Voice2022 Mental Wellbeing Survey of the IP Profession
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    47 m
  • Global Insights on University Commercialization with Todd Davey and Medisa Focic

    Global Insights on University Commercialization with Todd Davey and Medisa Focic
    Nov 12 2025
    Few studies have explored the global state of university intellectual property commercialization as deeply as this brief, Unlocking University IP: Global Insights into Commercialization Challenges and Opportunities. In this episode, we take a close look at that landmark UIIN Insights Brief with its lead authors, Dr. Todd Davey and Medisa Focic, to better understand how universities around the world are managing and monetizing their research. Together, they offer a rare global perspective on the systems, people, and policies that shape how ideas move from campus labs to the marketplace.Dr. Todd Davey, Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship at Institut Mines-Télécom Business School in Paris and Associate Partner with the University Industry Innovation Network (UIIN), brings decades of experience in connecting academia and industry. His co-author, Medisa Focic, a PhD candidate at the University of Technology Sydney, studies how IP policies are designed, implemented, and interpreted across Europe. Their combined research examines five major regions —North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America —and what these differences reveal about innovation and opportunity.The conversation touches on everything from the Bayh-Dole Act’s lasting influence in the U.S. to Europe’s evolving focus on valorization, where social and cultural value often matter as much as revenue. Todd and Medisa explain how strong, government-driven innovation systems in parts of Asia contrast with Africa’s emerging models built on homegrown solutions and local needs. Across these regions, they uncover a common thread: universities recognize the potential of IP, but still face structural and cultural barriers that hinder their progress.By the end of the discussion, a call for collaboration across continents emerges. Todd and Medisa make the case for ecosystem thinking: a more inclusive, evidence-based approach that measures success beyond patents and profits. They highlight lessons from institutions like MIT, Oxford, and Tsinghua University, where leadership, culture, and clarity around IP have turned innovation into impact. Their message is clear: unlocking the world’s intellectual property potential starts with aligning people, policy, and purpose.In This Episode:[00:33] Introducing guests Dr. Todd Davey and Medisa Focic, who are here to talk about the UIIN Insights Brief.[01:08] Todd has a background in entrepreneurship and university-industry collaboration.[02:16] Medisa has done research on IP management and policy frameworks across Europe.[03:52] The motivation behind their ambitious comparative study and what they hoped to uncover.[05:16] Why IP remains an underexplored asset in higher education worldwide.[06:21] Examining the persistent gap between potential and real commercialization outcomes.[07:45] How the absence of coherent IP policies limits innovation capacity.[08:38] Understanding the “Valley of Death” and the time it takes for research to reach the market.[09:26] Concentration of licensing revenue among elite universities and lessons learned.[10:52] Rethinking how success is measured beyond patents and spinouts.[12:12] The Bayh-Dole Act’s lasting impact on the North American IP model.[13:31] Why the U.S. framework can’t simply be copied in civil-law systems like Europe.[15:18] Exploring Europe’s valorisation approach and its focus on social and cultural value.[16:31] Examples of non-traditional outputs—policy advice, education, and consulting.[18:06] Broader focus on societal good and inclusive research across disciplines.[19:47] Social innovation accelerators in Canada and similar global movements.[20:42] Asia’s government-driven IP strategies and their success factors.[22:20] How policy, infrastructure, and funding link R&D to commercialization in Asia.[23:35] Emerging IP frameworks in Africa are centered on local solutions and social impact.[25:03] Why resources, context, and priorities shape Africa’s innovation path.[26:57] The seven major global challenges identified in the UIIN report.[29:20] Underfunded tech transfer offices and the need for skilled personnel.[30:33] Academic incentive gaps and the burden of extra commercialization work.[32:44] Addressing bureaucracy and cultural barriers between academia and industry.[33:39] Building trust through small collaborations and clear communication.[35:54] Shared goals, transparency, and mutual benefit as foundations for partnership.[37:35] Encouraging academics to learn the language of industry and engage directly.[38:56] Misalignments between institutional policies and real-world IP practice.[40:26] How unclear disclosure processes frustrate academic inventors.[41:47] Lessons from MIT, Oxford, and Tsinghua—what top performers do differently.[44:00] Institutional culture, leadership, and training as key ingredients of success.[45:26] The role of revenue-sharing policies in motivating and rewarding researchers.[47:37] Balancing ...
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    1 h y 30 m
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