A key role of the Industry Liaison Office (ILO) is the identification, protection and marketing of academic innovations. The ILO holds in its portfolio 48 technologies available for commercial exploitation. Royalty income from the existing 54 university/industry licenses and options totalled $769,375 in 1997-98, an increase of 16 per cent over the previous year. To date, 211 worldwide patents (pending or issued) are managed by the ILO, 60 of which have been issued. In 1997-98, the University of Manitoba was issued eight patents:

• Lorne Brandes, cell biology, US patent on DPPE (an antihistamine which makes cancers cells more susceptible to chemotherapy).
• Nariman Sepehri, mechanical and industrial engineering, two US patents for a proportional derivative control system with low speed offset compensation and nonlinear proportional integral controller.
• Louis Lenz, plant science (retired), a patent for the potentilla fruticosa plant named "Pink Beauty."
• Gerald Lefevre and Alan Mutch, both of anesthesia, a US patent for control of life support systems.
• Magdy Younes, internal medicine, two Canadian patents for piston-based ventilator design and operation.
• Arnold Greenberg, pediatrics, an Australian patent for novel proteases with DNA fragmenting activity.

Patents are one of the most important channels for technology transfer, and they form the basis of licensing activities close to 90 per cent of the time in the area of health and in other disciplines. Corporate interest in research at the U of M has been enhanced by successful patent applications, and income from the licensing of patents allows the university to continue to pursue patents and market the results of world-class research to the corporate community.

ILO maintains 133 confidential non-disclosure agreements and 181 biological material and material transfer agreements.

The EASy Industry Access Program (EASIAP) was able to increase its membership by five new companies, resulting in a total of 50 members. The membership was able to capitalize on several networking events throughout the year. Guest speakers addressed such topics as the Confederation Bridge linking PEI to the mainland; the means of developing and structuring a successful consortium of researchers under the umbrella of TRLabs; transportation issues and challenges of Manitoba in the North American context for all modes, and in the Asian context through the Winnport route.

More highlights of the research achievements of our faculty and students.

• New Project to Evaluate Drug Therapy
• Flood of the Century Brings Out Best from U of M
• Medical Research Council Recognizes Outstanding
• Manitobans Named to All Three Major Research Councils
• Notable Research Funding
• Strategic Grants
• Geographer Studies Northern Sea Ice Effect on Climate

• Medical Research Gains Crocus Investment
• SMART Park to Encourage University-Industry Interaction
• World's "Smartest" Bridge Opens in Headingley

• Rockefeller Foundation Funds AIDS Project
• TRLabs Renews Partnership Agreement
• University Partners with Team Cormorant