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STRATEGIES TO PROMOTE YOUR INVENTION - Online presences and proactive presentations

Although inventions have a profound ability to reshape communities, enhance individual lives, and provide universal benefits transcending geographic and cultural boundaries, their value must be communicated before their benefits can be experienced.

To give your invention the best opportunity for commercial success, TT&C has developed strategies to effectively disseminate information. These may include various media such as press releases, academic publications, industry conferences, social media, and collaborations with influencers in the field. Collectively, we try to identify and target the audience most likely to benefit from, or be interested in, the invention.

Tech Scout Engagements Online

For Tech Scouts, Flintbox provides a web-based listing of ÃÛÌÒ½´inventions, as illustrated in the following figure.

Flintbox Category Wheel with Sub-categories

Flintbox is a publicly accessible website that lists published and issued patents. Tech scouts and others may search the ÃÛÌÒ½´Flintbox site for patents based on Research Category or drill down to the Sub-Categories.

Click to view the ÃÛÌÒ½´Research Categories and inventions.

Flintbox is not only accessible directly from the ÃÛÌÒ½´website, but also syndicates SMU’s content to AUTM’s Innovation Marketplace (AIM). is the Association of University Technology Managers and is a leading platform that features over 31,000 technologies from universities, making it the largest portal of its type for technology licensing, attracting over two million page views from industry technology scouts and researchers seeking collaboration opportunities.

Scientific Conferences and Exhibits

Faculty inventors are advised to incorporate links to the Flintbox website in their conference presentation materials to help maximize exposure to your broader set of work. Furthermore, TT&C will supply a concise one-page Invention Summary flyer, profiling the inventor and invention, for distribution to interested attendees during the conference. The figure below illustrates the one-page Invention Summary that TT&C produces with your input.

Samples of one-page Invention Summaries to facilitate sharing your invention.

Beyond academic conferences where faculty inventors present their scientific research, there are industry events where the invention may be a valuable addition to other products. The TT&C team will collaborate with faculty inventors to identify these complementary products and suitable industry events. Together, they will evaluate and prioritize opportunities to showcase the invention as an Exhibitor at these venues.

INNOVATION COUNCIL – Reviews New Disclosures and Patented Inventions

The Innovation Council is tasked with assessing each invention for its benefits to the community, as well as its commercial and market viability.

Example package for the Innovation Council meetings.

Prior to each quarterly meeting with ORI’s Innovation Council , TT&C prepares a Marketing deck , a 1-page summary of the inventor and inventor background, and an Industry Analysis document, each based on the inventor’s patent and publications. These documents are vetted and approved by the inventor(s) before being presented to the Innovation Council.

Invention Reviews and Feedback to Inventors

Following each presentation of a Patented Invention , the Innovation Council will either assist in identifying potential commercial partners or recommend initiating a startup venture. Based on the Council’s evaluation, TT&C will implement specific actions aligned with these recommendations. These actions may include connecting researchers with companies interested in licensing new technologies. Alternatively, if pursuing a startup is deemed appropriate, TT&C will facilitate this process by providing access to accelerators, engaging angel investors, and supporting proof-of-concept programs.

Utilizing Pitch Decks for New Disclosures as a basis for evaluation, the Council determines whether an invention demonstrates enough potential to justify moving forward with a patent application. Depending on the invention’s current patent status at the time of review, this may involve filing either a Provisional or a Nonprovisional patent application.