Technology Advancement Office

Tech Advancement

Contact Information

Technology Advancement Office (formerly Office of Technology Management and Industry Relations)

University of Missouri

Mizzou North, Room 706

115 Business Loop 70 W.

Columbia, MO 65211-8375

(Google Map)

All TAO mail will be received at Mizzou North. Please use ZIP code 65203 for FedEx, UPS & other courier services.

(Campus mail address: Mizzou North, Room 706, 115 Business Loop 70 W.)

Call: 573-882-6013

Email: tao@missouri.edu

Or follow us on:

MU Ingenuity Grows Successful Ventures

VIDEO: iSocial virtual world empowers youth with autism.

VIDEO: Startup to test spinal muscular atrophy treatments.

VIDEO: Inventor James Cook shares his orthopaedic technologies.

VIDEO: Researcher Teresa Lever creates tools to detect vocal cord dysfunction.

VIDEO: Elemental Enzymes develops solutions for agriculture.

VIDEO: New software supports and improves patient care.

About

MU research and scholarship often lead to new technologies, tools, therapeutics, diagnostics, compositions, processes and other inventions that can improve people’s lives. The Technology Advancement Office (TAO) partners with faculty, companies, entrepreneurs and investors to bring those innovations to market.

TAO is part of MU's Office of Research and Economic Development. We work at the interface of science, business and patent law to evaluate, protect and pave the way for the translation of innovations into products, jobs and businesses.

For information about Mizzou innovation, read our 2019 report.

Typical Steps

Receive invention disclosure information from faculty and staff.
Evaluate inventions for novelty, utility and market potential.
Secure intellectual-property protection, such as patents.
Identify companies that have the expertise and resources necessary to bring an invention to market.
Negotiate licenses and other intellectual-property agreements with companies interested in further developing MU's research discoveries.
Manage license agreements, reporting requirements and compliance for federal, state and industry research contracts.