Case Study
Sophia Helps CU Innovations and Venture Partners at the University of Colorado Transform their IP Commercialization Process
Problem
The University of Colorado has two tech transfer offices, collectively serving its four campuses. Venture Partners at the University of Colorado Boulder brings the university’s researchers with business, startup and entrepreneurial communities to translate groundbreaking solutions into economic and social impact.
Additionally, CU Innovations is the go-to resource for biological and medical innovations and technology commercialization. Located on the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, CU Innovations specializes in commercializing technology, developing ventures, and building business partnerships. CU Innovations assists CU researchers in developing biomedical technologies - improving the quality of life for patients worldwide.
These two tech transfer offices utilize the same tech transfer platform to develop and manage their wide range of innovations, ventures, and partnerships. After considering their teams’ needs, they decided to transition to Sophia.
Goals
The University of Colorado had four goals for the Wellspring Sophia Implementation.
Store, retrieve, and maintain data efficiently
Data validation and efficacy – to ensure accurate, consistent data
Standardized and consistent reporting
Process automation to reduce manual workload
Implementation Process
The Wellspring team analyzed and audited the data, provided a test server, configured the Sophia production system, and provided comprehensive training to the 50+ users across their campuses. Wellspring has continued to provide ongoing training courses, which have been recorded, and how-to guides, enabling CU to compile a library of training materials to refer to.
Results
In less than a year of using Sophia, the University of Colorado has achieved all four goals.
The Sophia tool now allows the tech transfer team to create queries and generate reports that all team members can access regularly.
Instead of building individual reports that only one person can view, they can now produce multiple reports accessible to anyone on the team.
Importing files and invoices in Sophia has enhanced transparency and accuracy, and allowed for management and tracking of patent budgets.
The advanced submissions module provided CU’s researchers with access to submit their innovation disclosures and track related technology, IP and agreements.
Automatic alerts for annuity reminders, patent event reminders, and invention submissions have streamlined communication, removing the need for multiple emails to multiple recipients.
Automatic alerts for annuity reminders, patent event reminders, and invention submissions have streamlined communication, removing the need for multiple emails to multiple recipients.
Tech Transfer and Innovation
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