SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS
HUNTSVILLE — Alabama A&M University has been selected by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to help expand innovation, entrepreneurship, and intellectual property education across the Southeast, marking a significant achievement for the Huntsville HBCU and the region’s growing technology sector.
The university was chosen alongside the Atlanta University Center Consortium, which includes Morehouse College, Spelman College, and Clark Atlanta University, as part of the USPTO’s expansion of its Community Engagement Office. The initiative is designed to strengthen support for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) while helping students, researchers, entrepreneurs, and small businesses turn ideas into market-ready innovations.
The program comes as HBCUs are expected to receive approximately $810 million in federal research and development funding, creating new opportunities for innovation and economic growth.
According to the USPTO, Alabama A&M was selected because of its strong research programs, commercialization resources, and ability to support inventors and technology-driven businesses. The agency also recognized Huntsville as one of the nation’s leading innovation ecosystems, citing its concentration of aerospace, defense, advanced manufacturing, and engineering industries.
The city is home to NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, Redstone Arsenal, and numerous technology companies that continue to attract research investment and high-tech jobs.
“Alabama A&M University has a long-standing commitment to building partnerships that advance innovation, research, and economic opportunity,” said Alabama A&M President Dr. Daniel K. Wims. He said that having a USPTO presence on campus will provide students, faculty, entrepreneurs, and small businesses with greater access to intellectual property resources and expertise, while helping to transform research into real-world products and services.
Participants will also gain access to the USPTO’s Patent Pro Bono Program, which offers free legal assistance for qualifying inventors, as well as HBCU-based intellectual property law.