New Bayh-Dole Coalition report spotlights how federal funding drives innovation, jobs and economic growth
An image of the cover of the report, with text that reads: "The Economic Impact of the Bayh-Dole Act: How University and Nonprofit Inventions that Benefit from Federal Funding Drive American Innovation, Jobs, and Economic Growth, 1996-2025."
Courtesy of the Bayh-Dole Coalition
The Bayh-Dole Coalition has released a new report outlining how inventions stemming from federal funding contribute to innovation, jobs and economic growth in the U.S.
The report, drawing on AUTM data from 1996 through 2025, shows that university and nonprofit technology commercialization activities contributed as much as:
- $3.3 trillion in U.S. economic output
- $1.7 trillion to the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP)
- 7.5 million job-years
The report also finds that from 2001 to 2025, academic technology commercialization resulted in over 19,000 startups and more than 17,000 products.
Arizona and the Western States
According to the report, institutions in the western region – including Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming – generated $2.4 billion in licensing income and $1.1 billion in royalties between 2021 and 2025. It also states that from 2001 to 2025, technology commercialization work supported 4,931 startups and brought 3,667 new products to market.
Statewide, Arizona launched 504 startups and commercialized 112 products between 2001 and 2025 and brought in over $61 million in licensing income from 2021 to 2025.
Read the new 2026 Bayh-Dole report
U of A Economic Impact
"We're proud of the work that we and all of the world's research universities do to improve individual lives and impact entire economies," said Doug Hocktad, the university's chief innovation officer and executive director of Tech Launch Arizona. "We look forward to growing our work with our faculty, students, postdocs and staff to bring their innovations to the world."
The office delivered its own economic impact report in April 2026. That report found that TLA and its linked activities generated $459.7 million in economic output, supported 3,070 jobs and produced $16.8 million in state and local tax revenues during fiscal year 2025. The same analysis found that TLA-linked activity generated approximately $3.3 billion in economic output and supported more than 22,000 job-years – a full-time job held for one year – between fiscal years 2017 and 2025. It also forecasts an additional $2.46 billion in economic output and support for more than 16,000 job-years over the next five years.