Office of Technology Transfer and Business Innovation

The knowledge acquired in Clemson University research programs is not intended to stay within the confines of the institution. Knowledge is to be shared, first with peers and students, but ultimately with the community and society at large.

Technology transfer is the process of moving research findings from the academic setting to their practical applications. At Clemson, the Office of Technology Transfer within the Division of Research and Economic Development works closely with the Clemson University Research Foundation (CURF) to commercialize University intellectual property through licensing agreements, new company formation and incubation of fledgling businesses based on new technologies developed at Clemson.

More than 125 technologies have been licensed based on University discoveries, generating approximately $3 million in gross royalty income for the University each year. In FY 2008, CURF executed 21 new licenses, for a total of 30 active licenses producing income. Three new startup companies were created based on Clemson discoveries: Sensor Tech, Earth Renewable Technologies and Smart Blending Technologies. 

Recognizing that technology transfer is a two-way street and that university research is born of collaboration, Clemson University recently initiated a program to nurture affiliated startup companies through research collaboration, intellectual property licensing and close connection between industry and Clemson’s research emphasis areas.

The Technology Innovation Partnership (TIP) will generate commercialization of new discoveries through collaboration and increased research investment, with the ultimate goal of a sustainable knowledge-based economy for South Carolina. The TIP program recruited the first two startup companies from outside the state, Florida-based StormRider and Gulf Fiberoptics, to the Clemson University Advanced Materials Center in Anderson County. Both are aligned with two of the University’s emphasis areas — Advanced Materials and Biotechnology and Biomedical Sciences.