SALT LAKE CITY, UT—U.S. Senator John Curtis (R-UT) issued the following statement on the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)’s announcement that a new community engagement office will be opened at the University of Utah:
“Today’s announcement is an investment in American ingenuity and reinforces Utah’s leadership in research, technology, and entrepreneurship. Utah is ranked among the fastest-growing innovation economies in the country and has always been a place where bold ideas take root and grow. The new community engagement office will help ensure that our innovators have the tools, resources, and federal partnership they need to compete and win in the global economy.”
Background:
The new community engagement office location will serve innovators in part of the eight-state area formerly serviced by the Rocky Mountain Regional Outreach Office. The eight-state area includes: Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Nebraska.
The USPTO reimagines its community engagement footprint as an agile model to meet innovators where they are. The University of Utah is an R1 institution with one of the strongest commercialization pipelines in the Mountain West. It has significant federal research activity at over $781M in FY25 with an aggressive plan for growth. The University also provides industry partnerships spanning biotech, AI, advanced engineering, and energy in addition to the S.J. Quinney College of Law with an intellectual property (IP) specialization. Utah is ranked among the fastest-growing innovation economies in the country with a high volume of individual and first-time inventors who would immediately benefit from a USPTO presence.