Stephen Susalka

Dr. Stephen J. Susalka is the Chief Executive Officer of AUTM, a 3,000+ member non-profit association, focused on supporting and enhancing technology transfer globally, and oversees a cooperative partnership with the Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer to support federal technology transfer for more than 300 federal labs across the US.

As an international leader in technology commercialization, Dr. Susalka uses his experience in intellectual property protection, licensing, and company formation to empower, promote and connect AUTM members as they advance the next generation of ground-breaking innovations into the products and services of tomorrow.

A regular speaker on technology transfer issues, Dr. Susalka has frequently presented on Capitol Hill and internationally on topics ranging from start-up formation to the evolution of the profession. He has worked with senior leaders from around the world on strategies to enhance the commercialization of early-stage inventions and has provided testimony to the Canadian House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry, Science, and Technology on promoting best practices for intellectual property and technology transfer.

Before joining AUTM, Dr. Susalka served as Associate Director for Commercialization at Wake Forest Innovations.

Dr. Susalka earned his Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of Virginia and is a registered U.S. Patent Agent.  He is a past Board member of multiple Wake Forest-affiliated start-ups and is both a Certified Licensing Professional and Registered Technology Transfer Professional.

Dr. Kirti Gupta – Testimony: Innovating Ideas Around Standards and Intellectual Property

On September 20th, 2023, LeadershIP Executive Director Dr. Kirti Gupta testified for the ITA-NIST-USPTO Listening Session on Innovating Ideas Around Standards and Intellectual Property.    Transcript: Good afternoon. My name is Dr. Kirti Gupta and I am speaking on behalf of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Let
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Four Actions to Strengthen the U.S. Intellectual Property System

By Hideki Tomoshige and Sujai Shivakumar A reliable and robust intellectual property (IP) system is a pillar of the nation’s innovation system. In an era when economic growth, global competitiveness, and national security are all predicated on relative strengths of national innovation systems, the United States needs to take deliberate
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What Can Patent Data Reveal about U.S.-China Technology Competition?

By Alexander Kersten, Gabrielle Athanasia, and Gregory Arcuri The United States and China are engaged in a strategic competition for global technological leadership. In seeking ways to gauge this competition, business leaders, policymakers, the media, and even the courts often turn to data on patent filings. Prudent use of this data
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