About The Technology Commercialization Office

The Technology Commercialization Office (TCO) at the University of Utah is dedicated to commercializing new technologies and inventions from discoveries made and developed at the University of Utah. We accomplish this by applying a stage-gated, milestone-driven process that has as an end-goal licensing intellectual property, building beneficial commercial partnerships, supporting our community and educating students.

Our Mission, Purpose, Values and Vision

Our Mission

The mission of the TCO is to create and drive value from an invention's discovery to its transformation into practical use.

Our Purpose

The TCO's purpose is to transform smart ideas into life-changing applications.

Our Values

The TCO incorporates the following values into every facet of its operations:

Trustworthy: Being loyal, accountable, honest and full of integrity
Relationships: Being open, striving to create win-win situations, being tolerant of failure, fostering teamwork, being accepting of criticism and being reasonable
Courageous: Making hard decisions, performing calculated risk taking, not being afraid to fail and striving to do the right thing
Fun: Incorporating fun activities into the organization’s operations, taking enjoyment in all we do, fostering relationships, finding time to laugh and reduce stress
Passion: Being driven, hard working, excited, persistent, focused, idea-loving and energetic
Creative: Being inspiring, innovative, open minded, positive and calculated in risk taking
Excellence: Exhibiting professionalism, aiming for effectiveness, striving for success, being timely, being precise and leading the way

Our Vision

The TCO will be recognized as one of the top ten hubs for commercialization by:

#1-Leading the world in disclosures, patents, licenses, and start ups
#2-Leading the world in value formation
#3-Being a recognized center for education and thought leadership

The economic impact of commercialization

The Technology Commercialization Office (TCO) has managed the university's intellectual property developed by faculty, staff and students since 1967. By establishing commercial partnerships and developmenting products from technologies, TCO benefits the public and promotes economic growth. TCO strives to have a positive impact on the local and national economy by helping talented faculty bring their inventions to the marketplace and by helping students hone their professional skills. One of the most prominent examples is the number of startup companies we have helped launch based on inventions at the U. Beyond strartups, we impact the economy by driving partnerships and educational opportunities of all sorts that help grow jobs and income for many people.

Visit our newsroom for more information

Building a culture of innovation

TCO and related departments are dedicated to growing a "Culture of Innovation." We strive to create the programs, services and partnerships necessary to support existing progress and promote additional commercialization and entrepreneurship. We do this by collaborating across the campus, state, nation and world to build the connections needed to drive sustained innovation. We welcome partners of all sorts to join this effort.

Related programs

Technology Venture Development

Technology Venture Development and related departments host a wide variety of programs and services for our valued partners. A few of them include mentoring programs for faculty, student competitions for undergraduates and graduates, seminars for professionals, networking opportunities for entrepreneurs, innovation programs for middle-school students, and more. Browse their website for a closer look at these programs, or contact them for a private consultation. They have something for everyone interested in commercialization, entrepreneurship or innovation.

Pierre Lassonde Entrepreneur Center

The Lassonde Entrepreneur Center provides and teaches real-world business experience to help young entrepreneurs be better prepared to understand and assume the risks of business ownership and management. Through this educational process, the Lassonde Center hopes to inspire entrepreneurs to continue their own education not only today but continually so that they may be better prepared for tomorrow's market.

Employment opportunities

There are no current employment opportunities at the TCO. However, we encourage you to upload your resume/cv by filling out the following form.

Publications & reports