5 new leaders of USPTO CI2 will develop a national strategy
The quest for full inclusiveness in American entrepreneurship and innovation now has a fuller commitment throughout U.S. government.
A “whole-of-government” approach to this mission was formalized with the recent announcement that the USPTO’s Council for Inclusive Innovation (CI2) added five co-vice chairs to the council. U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, chair of CI2, and USPTO Director Kathi Vidal said the new leaders are:
- Alejandra Castillo, assistant secretary of commerce for economic development;
- Don Cravins Jr., under secretary of commerce for minority business development;
- Laurie E. Locascio, under secretary of commerce for standards and technology and National Institute of Standards and Technology director;
- Sethuraman Panchanathan, National Science Foundation director; and
- Shira Perlmutter, register of copyrights and director of the U.S. Copyright Office.
These government leaders will work with council members—executives from industry, academia, nonprofits, and government—to develop a National Innovation Strategy and to drive fast, sustainable change. The leaders recently met to discuss concrete objectives.
Recent USPTO data say that only 12.8 percent of inventors listed on patents granted in a single year are women, with little to no data on the participation of other underrepresented groups.
The USPTO also reports that industries that intensively utilize intellectual property protection account for more than 41 percent of U.S. gross domestic product and employ one-third of the total U.S. workforce. Workers in IP-intensive industries earn 60 percent higher weekly wages on average versus those in other industries.
“I am excited to welcome these incredible leaders in government to serve on the board of CI2 where they will bring their extensive experience supporting U.S. businesses and inventors to create a more inclusive and expansive innovation ecosystem,” Secretary Raimondo said.
For additional information on the council, please see uspto.gov/initiatives/equity/ci2.
