'UK at the Half' Talks Technology Commercialization

Podcast | Sep 15, 2017

Ian McClure, who leads the University of Kentucky’s Office of Technology Commercialization, was featured during "UK at the Half," which aired during the UK vs. Eastern Kentucky University football game, broadcast on radio Sept. 9.

McClure discusses UK's progress in patents of intellectual property and UK's new partnership with EKU whereby the UK Office of Technology Commercialization will act as an independently contracted partner and service provider to EKU for intellectual property and commercialization services.

To hear the Sept. 9 "UK at the Half," click on the play button above. To view a transcript of the show, click on the "downloads" above and to the right.

"UK at the Half" airs during the halftime of each UK football and basketball game broadcast and is hosted by Carl Nathe of UK Public Relations and Marketing.

UK at the Half Sept. 9, 2017: Ian McClure on UK, EKU Technology Commercialization Partnership

Carl Nathe: Thanks Chris!

Ian McClure: The innovation, the inventive activity here on campus, and frankly all around the Commonwealth, was amazing to me.

Carl Nathe: That’s the voice of Ian McClure who leads the University of Kentucky’s Office of Technology Commercialization. A lawyer, entrepreneur, and investment banker prior to joining UK last fall, this native Kentuckian is bullish on UK’s faculty creating new discoveries.

Ian McClure: We rank in the top 100 of universities worldwide for patents issued. Last year, we were 69th. This most recent fiscal year we actually had more patents issued than we ever have before, so we’re going to move up that list.

Carl Nathe: Just how does this technology transfer work?

Ian McClure: I like to call it, “renewable research.” The objective of our office is to develop a pathway through which research can actually create new research by deriving some economic return, taking that research, protecting it in the form of intellectual property, licensing that intellectual property, or forming startup companies around that intellectual property.

Carl Nathe: Ian McClure explains further.

Ian McClure: That technology gets used in products that are sold and utilized in the marketplace, and then we take those revenues that we derive and pump it right back into more research.

Carl Nathe: EKU and UK are doing battle on the football field this afternoon, but on the research front Ian McClure, together with EKU’s executive director for Economic Development Entrepreneurship and Technology Tom Martin, along with EKU president Michael Benson and UK president Eli Capilouto, have forged a promising new partnership. Dr. Capilouto…

Eli Capilouto: As a research university, we lead the state in success in competing for external grants. That’s the pipeline for intellectual property. We have developed the resources and infrastructure to move some of those to the marketplace. We are happy to partner with EKU to provide that kind of capability for their faculty when they have discoveries and we are grateful for the partnership.

Ian McClure: We can channel that inventive activity happening at EKU through our office and collaborate and cooperate to give those ideas at EKU the best chance at succeeding, and it’s all about raising the bar for the State, for the Commonwealth.

Carl Nathe: EKU and UK partnering for the betterment of the Commonwealth. To keep up with what’s going on at the University of Kentucky, visit uky.edu. There you can find our UKNOW news page as well as how to engage with us via social media on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Seeing blue, I’m Carl Nathe with UK at the Half.