UC Berkeley's Office of Intellectual Property and Industry Research Alliances (IPIRA) was created in 2004 to provide a "one-stop shop" for industry research partners to interact with the campus. IPIRA's mission is to establish and maintain multifaceted relationships with private companies, and thereby enhance the research enterprise of the Berkeley campus. These relationships include sponsored research collaborations, and intellectual property commercialization (sometimes referred to as technology transfer). This office reports to the Vice Chancellor for Research and consists of two groups: the Office of Technology Licensing (OTL), and the Industry Alliances Office (IAO).

IPIRA serves as a common liaison for companies when interfacing with UC Berkeley researchers, resources, and technologies. IPIRA staff can support companies who desire to sponsor research and/or license technologies from UC Berkeley. IPIRA can also assist companies who desire to support research through gift funding.

IPIRA staff experts help researchers and companies navigate federal and state laws and policies regarding research, conflict of interest, intellectual property, contracts, and employment in a University research environment. IPIRA staff make presentations regarding IPIRA's role at Berkeley and its unique approaches to intellectual property management.

UC Berkeley employees, students and technology have engendered many new products, jobs and companies, all of which are critical economic drivers for the Bay Area and the State of California. Through IPIRA, the University is enhancing its key role in the ongoing cycles of technology innovation, commercial development, and reinvestment in the research enterprise.

When to contact us

• Contact us as soon as you know you'd like to work together — we can help identify the right mechanisms to enable the work.
• Contact us when you're looking for someone to work with — we can help find the right person.
• Contact us when you're looking for intellectual property to help bolster your company — we can help you find the right intellectual property and/or researcher.