U.S. Commerce Department brings delegation to Syracuse University

The U.S. Department of Commerce is currently hosting a delegation of professionals from the former Soviet Union who have come to the United States to learn about intellectual property rights and technology commercialization and how the U.S. government, universities, private industry and associations work together to protect trademarks, patents, copyrights and promote innovation.   

Based on the strength of Syracuse University’s technology transfer program, technology commercialization law program, and state and regional partnerships, the Department of Commerce selected SU as the host site for the delegation’s visit, Jan. 31-Feb. 4. The group of 18 delegates and two simultaneous interpreters will be on campus to learn from SU faculty members and professionals—as well as visiting speakers from New York state colleges and universities, law firms and area businesses—in the areas of technology transfer, intellectual property, entrepreneurship and commercialization, and innovation collaboration. 

The delegation will specifically hear about SU’s Office of Technology Transfer and Industrial Development; Technology Commercialization Clinic; Technology Commercialization Law Program; Falcone Center for Entrepreneurship; Panasci Business Plan Competition; and other of the University’s state and community partnerships, such as the Technology Garden and SyracuseCoE.  

The delegation will also tour the downtown sites of SU’s community partnership programs, such as the South Side Innovation Center and the WISE Center, to learn how the University is catalyzing new and emerging business in the City of Syracuse. Area business and legal professionals will also provide insight into how community-university collaboration is helping to seed commercial merit for investable startups in Syracuse. 

The visit is organized through the Department of Commerce’s SABIT (Special American Business Internship Training) program, which builds partnerships and provides technical assistance by training Eurasian business leaders in U.S. business practices. These training programs directly support Eurasian economic and civil society development by encouraging market-based reforms, while generating valuable export and investment opportunities for U.S. industry. 

Delegation members on campus represent Azerbaijan, Moldova, Russia and Ukraine. 

For more information on the visit, contact Jeong Han Oh, director of the Office of Technology Transfer and Industrial Development, at Jhoh@syr.edu.