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Building America's Tomorrow Featuring Mary Barra
CEO, General Motors Company

Test Drive Our Advanced Manufacturing Ecosystem

Discover New Relationships For
Intellectual Property And Innovation

Jayson Pankin Named as One of the World's Leading Intellectual Property Strategists Five Consecutive Years

DETROIT, June 12, 2018 - AutoHarvest Foundation, a global online meeting place for innovators of all types with an interest in advanced manufacturing, announced today that its co-founder & president, Mr. Jayson D. Pankin, was ranked one of the World's Leading Intellectual Property Strategist for the fifth consecutive year.

Reflecting on this industry recognition, Mr. Pankin said "As a hands-on player in technology transformation since the early 1980's-- the dawning days of biotech, personal computing and new medical imaging-- it continues to be a thrill to see, in our home court, Detroit, the resurgence of traditional automotive manufacturing into the tech-laden "New Mobility". It's real! As before, automotive as the early adopter drives new technologies but today it has accelerated new innovation hubs, such as Tel Aviv and is the risk taker in a thousand "young people" hatched startups working on AI, lidar, autonomous cars, blockchain, advanced materials, new energy and personalized G5 connectivity for entertainment, safety, well-being and less wear and tear on our cities and planet. Wow- it's not your grandpa’s Oldsmobile any more".

Click here to read the full press release

Licensing Executives Society (U.S.A. & Canada), Inc. Signs Alliance Agreement with AutoHarvest Foundation

DETROIT, January 9, 2017 - AutoHarvest Foundation (AutoHarvest) is proud to announce that it has signed an alliance agreement with the Licensing Executives Society, USA & Canada (LES).

The alliance will combine LES's resources and intellectual property expertise with AutoHarvest's open innovation community. AutoHarvest continually seeks to work with organizations that support advancements in the manufacturing field, an objective which effortlessly aligns with LES's strategic goals.

Kimberly Chotkowski, CEO, LES (USA & Canada) commented, "LES takes a lot of pride in our educational offerings, both in-person and digital. One goal of this collaborative effort is to share this asset with AutoHarvest's vast intellectual property community."

Click here to read the full press release

How Ford turned thousands of employees into inventors

"Turn More Employees Into Inventors"
Dec. 14, 2016 - Henry Ford may be credited with inventing the moving assembly line, but the auto company that bears his name wanted to be more inventive still. Just a few years ago, other major automakers were being granted nearly twice as many patents as Ford per year from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

To jump-start its inventive culture, the company implemented a number of internal initiatives, from altering its financial incentives for inventors to creating companywide innovation challenges. The efforts appear to be paying off. As of Tuesday, Ford is poised to have more U.S. utility patents granted this year than any other automaker, according to agency data.

Accenture Institute for High Performance

Digital Shoring for Networked Innovation
Feb. 26, 2016 - Companies are under pressure to innovate faster than ever, and collaboration beyond organizational boundaries is central to accelerated innovation. But few companies navigate collaboration well —or even find the right path to get started. To move forward, companies must change their operating models to enable Digital Shoring, the latest evolution of organizational shoring approaches that unlocks new ways of working with partners located anywhere in the world. Click here to go to the website

Jayson Pankin Named as One of the World's Leading Intellectual Property Strategists Four Consecutive Years

DETROIT, June 12, 2017 - AutoHarvest Foundation, a global online meeting place for innovators of all types with an interest in advanced manufacturing, announced today that its co-founder & president, Mr. Jayson D. Pankin, was ranked one of the World's Leading Intellectual Property Strategist for the fourth consecutive year.

"Jayson's recognition by IAM acknowledges AutoHarvest's role in the manufacturing sector as a neutral virtual meeting place for innovation collaboration. For example, new relationships this year with the Licensing Executive Society to advance technology transfer education and selected to lead the first US Delegation to the China Entrepreneur Club's Green Company Summit on Earth Day, recognize AutoHarvest's inclusive innovation community" said founding AutoHarvest board member Dr. Val Livada, retired faculty member of the MIT Sloan School.

Click here to read the full press release

AutoHarvest Foundation - Comcast NewsMakers

"Engine that is Accelerating Product Development, Growing Companies and Creating New Jobs."
Jun. 26, 2016 -

Comcast NewsMakers highlight's the AutoHarvest Foundation as "engine that is accelerating product development, growing companies and creating new jobs."

Link to Video Interview

Licensing Executive Society (LES) May 2016 ViewPoint

Virtual Ecosystems Accelerate Innovation - Should LES Members Go Online To Find IP Opportunities?
July. 7, 2016 -

Trends and technologies change, but meeting new doers remains one of the keys to delivering tomorrow's products.....Read More

Link to Article

Ford Opens Portfolio of Patented Technologies to Competitors to Accelerate Industry-Wide Electrified Vehicle Development

DEARBORN, Mich., May 28, 2015 - Ford Motor Company is offering competitors access to its electrified vehicle technology patents - a move to help accelerate industry-wide research and development of electrified vehicles.

"Innovation is our goal," said Kevin Layden, director, Ford Electrification Programs. "The way to provide the best technology is through constant development and progress. By sharing our research with other companies, we will accelerate the growth of electrified vehicle technology and deliver even better products to customers."

To access Ford's patents and published patent applications, interested parties can contact the company's technology commercialization and licensing office, or work through AutoHarvest - an automaker collaborative innovation and licensing marketplace. AutoHarvest allows members to showcase capabilities and technologies, then privately connect with fellow inventors to explore technology and business development opportunities of mutual interest. The patents would be available for a fee.

"Ford helped launch AutoHarvest as a founding member to enable efficient and transparent technology licensing across the automotive industry and beyond," said Bill Coughlin, president and CEO, Ford Global Technologies, which manages intellectual property for Ford.

Read the Full Press Release Read the Detroit News Article
Read the Automotive News Read the IAM Blog
Ford "Multimodal Mobility Solutions Come To Life"

China's WTOIP & Detroit's AutoHarvest Team to Accelerate Technology Commercialization with Chinese Companies

Detroit, MI | Guangzhou, China - March 19, 2015 - Two major intellectual property ecosystems have joined forces to accelerate the adoption of innovation between Chinese and Western organizations and inventors. The emergence of China as the world's top patenting country is another strong indicator that tomorrow's successful companies will have a China strategy and Chinese partners. Efficiently bridging the vast distance in geography and culture has been achieved by many multinationals that have established R&D centers, sales and manufacturing operations in China. Broadening the Chinese opportunity landscape to include entrepreneurs, SMEs and research institutes is a primary goal for AutoHarvest Foundation and WTOIP. A new bridge-facilitating the flow of innovation is being built stretching from China to Motown and beyond for intellectual property and talent in transportation and advanced manufacturing. Four of the top recipients in 2014 of Chinese patents were car manufacturers.

"WTOIP was created to unify Chinese intellectual property developers and product innovators through an on and off line network offering a deep pool of partners, patents, branding and global markets," said Boon Xie, CEO of WTOIP, "We have abundant IP resources which are over 600 thousand patents and 500 thousand trademarks for sale. We will align well with the AutoHarvest Innovation Ecosystem to bring good opportunities to both members and enterprises through utilizing intellectual property."


Read the Full Press Release Read the Forbes Article
Read the IAM Article Read the Forbes Article - In Chinese
Read the Detroit News Article Read the Detroit News Article
Read the State Intellectual Property Office of the P.R.C.

AutoHarvest Recognized in Recent Intellectual Asset Management Article

Detroit, MI - April 2014 - In this in-depth article, IAM presents AutoHarvest.org as a model of the open innovation and collaboration that is helping the US auto industry return to prominence and success. As much of the intellectual property needed to build the 'vehicle of tomorrow' is located outside the automotive industry, cooperation between automakers and across sectors is essential for progress.

Read the "Engines of Collaboration"

Autotech Council and AutoHarvest Partner to Accelerate Transfer of Tech Innovations to the Auto Industry

San Jose, CA | Detroit, MI - June 26, 2014 - The Autotech Council announced today that it is joining the AutoHarvest Foundation as a strategic partner. Based in San Jose, the Council is a group of technology innovators whose members represent many of the nation's leading suppliers and automakers, and seeks to speed the introduction of tech innovations into the auto industry.

By working together, the Autotech Council and the AutoHarvest Foundation will facilitate the flow of innovation from Silicon Valley to America's automotive centers. Over 100 Council-affiliated companies will be offered AutoHarvest membership and integration assistance, enabling them to display their technology needs and solutions to a global market.

Read the Full Press Release

Ford to License Patented Inflatable Safety Belt Technology to Encourage Expanded Adoption

DEARBORN, MI - May 28, 2014 - Ford Motor Company is offering its patented inflatable safety belt technology to other companies and industries, including competitive automotive manufacturers. The availability of licenses may lead to the wider adoption of inflatable safety belts as other automakers seek to enhance passenger safety. The technology is potentially applicable to other forms of seated-passenger transportation, including military use, and airborne passengers traveling by helicopter or airplane, and even for water travel.

Ford also purchased additional inflatable safety belt patents from United Technologies Corp. to ensure that this technology could be broadly licensed. This effort was made easier with the help of AutoHarvest Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to accelerating the adoption of new technologies by providing unprecedented access to innovators and businesses.

"We founded AutoHarvest with the hopes this type of technology sharing could be realized for the betterment of society," said David E. Cole, co-founder and board chairman for AutoHarvest. "We are glad to be able to play a role in spreading this safety technology more broadly."

Read the Full Press Release

CEA LIST Institute, dedicated to smart digital systems, joins AutoHarvest® Marketplace

French research organization, CEA LIST institute, has signed a membership agreement with the AutoHarvest e-collaboration marketplace to post licensable technologies in the areas of:

  • Robotics & Advanced manufacturing
  • Embedded Systems
  • Augmented & virtual reality
  • Software tools
  • Multimodal interfaces
  • Intelligent/ubiquitous sensor networks
  • Data mining and analytics
  • Digital & interactive tools for products and processes design
  • Non-destructive testing

CEA LIST institute supports its industrial partners' competitiveness through innovation and technological transfer. To date, it has formed innovation partnerships with more than 100 companies, mainly in Europe. CEA LIST is expanding its footprint in the U.S. and will use the AutoHarvest's online platform to match technology needs with innovative solutions developed by its network of R&D teams and innovative spinoffs.

"CEA LIST institute, Autosar Premium Member, has been providing companies with a very large panel of compliant technologies for 4 years. We hope that through AutoHarvest, we'll be able to enlarge and accelerate this action for smarter manufacturing processes" says Karine GOSSE, CEO of CEA LIST Institute.

Download the complete press release here.
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Left to right: AutoHarvest CEO, Jayson Pankin and US Secretary of Commerce, Penny Pritzker.

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Delivers Remarks at Detroit Economic Club

Detroit, MI - January 15th, 2014 - U.S. Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker praises resilience of auto industry at North American International Automotive Show in Detroit. Secretary Pritzker calls out US Patent and Trademark Office MOU with AutoHarvest "working with Jayson's team, we will help inventors and auto executives team up to commercialize new ideas".

Watch Secretary Pritzker's remarks Download the complete transcription Download the Detroit News article

AutoHarvest co-founder and chairman, Dr. David E. Cole to be inducted into The Automotive Hall of Fame

Detroit, MI - July 1, 2013 - The annual Induction & Awards Ceremony, to be hosted by RM Auctions and held at the Inn at St. John's in Plymouth, Michigan on July 25, 2013, will recognize nine trailblazers, pioneers, and leaders for their influence on the automotive industry in four categories: Automotive Hall of Fame Induction, Distinguished Service Citation, Young Leadership & Excellence Award and Industry Leader of the Year.

Download the complete Press Release

USPTO and AutoHarvest Collaborate to Accelerate Advanced Manufacturing

Detroit, MI - March 5, 2013 - The U.S. Department of Commerce's United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the AutoHarvest Foundation today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to work together to spur innovation and generate jobs in advanced manufacturing. The two organizations will collaborate on the creation of an online environment for innovators to exchange information, facilitate technical discussions, and encourage the growth of entrepreneurial activities. The USPTO opened its first-ever satellite office in Detroit in July 2012, and the MOU is part of the agency's outreach into the community.

Through the MOU, entrepreneurs and corporate executives will have direct access to a centralized online collection of databases, information resources, software and analytical tools designed to help inventors better understand the process of obtaining, maintaining and commercializing their intellectual property (IP). Through a series of actionable interfaces, innovators will also have the ability to view, directly respond to and potentially enter into business transactions to commercialize their IP or provide their technologies to emerging companies seeking advanced manufacturing solutions.

"This partnership will help advanced manufacturing businesses and individual inventors in Detroit and the surrounding region obtain patent protection and commercialize their inventions," said Acting Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Acting Director of the USPTO, Teresa Stanek Rea.

The MOU marks yet another step the USPTO has taken to help grow businesses by establishing partnerships with regional economic development commissions and general public-private partnerships in order to offer a tailored suite of IP support services to local start-ups, incubators, and job accelerators.

"The importance of the Midwest as a global engineering center is reinforced by this alliance," said AutoHarvest chairman, Dr. David E. Cole. "AutoHarvest members will benefit from information and databases sourced and potentially co-developed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office that will help inventors better understand the process of obtaining, maintaining and commercializing intellectual property, leading to real economic impact" noted Jayson D. Pankin, AutoHarvest president and CEO."

Download the complete Press Release

White House Office of Science and Technology Policy



Report to the President on Ensuring American Leadership in Advanced Manufacturing

July 11, 2011 - the AutoHarvest Foundation was privileged to be a key participant, along with Mr. Aneesh Chopra, United States Chief Technology Officer, in a Town Hall meeting sponsored by the Ford Motor Company at the new Innovation Center in Allen Park, Michigan. The event, which was reported on Mr. Chopra's White House blog, was attended by over 100 industry, government and academic research and development professionals, who discussed how to propel the resurgence of advanced manufacturing in Michigan and introduced several new, powerful initiatives in Southeast Michigan.

Read more about the event

AutoHarvest, DHS and TARDEC Sign Technology Innovation Information Collaboration Agreement

Detroit, MI - April 18, 2012 - The AutoHarvest Foundation announces that it has entered into a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science & Technology Directorate (S&T) and the Department of Defense, U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC).

AutoHarvest, DHS S&T and TARDEC have identified a framework for partnership to promote the adaptation of automotive-related technological innovation for use at the Federal, State and local levels. This framework provides for more efficient communication of publicly available requirements, capability gaps, technology and information to the private sector.

Download the complete press release

Detroit Regional Innovation Network

AutoHarvest's leadership in driving innovation throughout the global automotive industry is being supercharged with its recently awarded New Economy Initiative (NEI) grant. Read more about the NEI's Detroit Regional Innovation Network, the recently launched 10-year program to boost high-tech development and job creation in Southeast Michigan in this front page Crain's Detroit Business article.

Download Article Here