EAST LANSING, Mich. — Michael Poterala has been named executive director of MSU Technologies, the technology transfer unit established to propel Michigan State University research results to the marketplace.
Poterala has been executive director of the Office of Intellectual Property (OIP) since January while continuing to serve as associate general counsel for MSU.
“In the spirit of our land-grant heritage and our world-grant vision, Michigan State University embraces its responsibility to promote innovation and economic competitiveness for Michigan,” said MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon. “MSU Technologies is an important part of this institution’s future, and Mike Poterala is the right person to lead us forward.”
The new office was announced early this year by Simon to provide commercial talent and leadership to transfer MSU’s discoveries and innovations to industry.
MSU Technologies will assess the commercial value of the discoveries and technologies of MSU researchers and market the most promising to potential commercial partners throughout the world, including venture capital investors. MSU Technologies also will help MSU inventors start new businesses to develop the commercial potential of their discoveries.
“With the growth of OIP, we asked Mike to take full-time leadership of this reformulated unit,” said Ian Gray, vice president for research and graduate studies. “He has already established good rapport with faculty and administrators and will work well with corporate leaders. He has the vision to take the program to the first-class status we’re aiming for.”
Poterala will lead a two-pronged approach to managing MSU’s intellectual property. Over the next year the office will hire new staff, including at least five technology managers who will work closely with colleges to identify technologies with the potential to be commercialized through either licensing or new venture development.
MSU Technologies also will work with expert external consultants to conduct a comprehensive review of existing technologies in MSU’s portfolio and actively market those deemed to have commercial potential.
The office will continue to process material transfer and confidential disclosure agreements.
In MSU’s Office of the General Counsel, Poterala advised on sponsored research agreements, intellectual property matters, scientific misconduct, export controls, trademark licensing, and intercollegiate athletics. He was lead counsel for MSU and three other research institutions in negotiating a $10 million research and development agreement with the Dow Chemical Co.
In his previous law practice, Poterala served as general counsel in Michigan for the Motion Picture Association of America, which recognized him for his work investigating and prosecuting film, video and television piracy. In that capacity, he filed and litigated more than 140 copyright and trademark infringement cases for clients that included Columbia Pictures, the Walt Disney Co. and Warner Bros.
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