Late in 2020, the Innovation Institute was honored to host the Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, Andrei Iancu, for a fireside chat with our Director, Evan Facher.
They covered a wide range of topics around trends in patent and trademarks, both in the U.S. and globally. Director Iancu touched on the role of universities in the national innovation ecosystem, the new rules established to speed COVID-related innovations to market, among several other topics.
He also recognized the heightened pace of innovation and entrepreneurship at Pitt and singled out Dr. Rory Cooper, Director of the Human Engineering Research Laboratory, which Director Iancu visited in 2019. He cited Dr. Cooper as a prolific innovator enhancing the quality of life for those dealing with physical challenges due to age, injury or disease.