Stephen Fleming

Stephen Fleming, Phys 83, a successful Atlanta investor and entrepreneur, was named to head Georgia Tech's new commercialization initiative designed to streamline the handling of intellectual property, accelerate the licensing of technology and make resources more readily accessible to business and industry.

As chief commercialization officer, Fleming's responsibilities include evaluation of invention disclosures, marketing of Georgia Tech intellectual property and assistance to faculty members interested in forming start-up companies. The Office of Technology Licensing will continue to serve faculty members as the initial point of contact for invention disclosures.

The new initiative, to be known as Georgia Tech Commercialization Services, will also expand the transfer of technology to Georgia companies while providing stronger marketing and management for Tech's rapidly growing and increasingly specialized intellectual property portfolio.

Over the past decade, Tech's research program has more than doubled in size and the Institute has set records for the number of patents filed, technologies licensed and start-up companies formed.

According to a recent survey by the Association of University Technology Managers, Georgia Tech ranks first among U.S. universities in the rate of technology licenses granted to start-up companies. Overall for fiscal year 2004, Georgia Tech licensed 15 start-up companies, received 35 patents, filed 277 invention disclosures and brought in $2.3 million in revenue.

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