TUE AM News: University research would likely decline if government took patent royalties; Port of Green Bay tonnage drops in September report

October 14, 2025

— Innovation-inspiring funding for decades of research and patents in Wisconsin would be rolled back if the federal government skimmed profits from patents developed by federally funded universities, experts say.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick last month in an interview with The Hill said it’s unfair that the federal government gives universities around the country billions of dollars for research and gets “zero” in return. He argued the U.S. should at least get some of that money back when the research it funds creates profitable patents.

“In business, if I gave them 100% of their money, I would get half the profits, with the scientists,” he said. “So I think if we fund it and they invent a patent, the United States of America taxpayer should get half the benefit.”

No formal proposal for such a plan has been introduced so far.

But Lutnick’s remarks, if enacted, would mean undoing the Bayh-Dole Act of 1980. The act says if government-funded research at universities yields a patent on new technology it is owned by that university while the government can use the tech for free.

Since 2020, the federal government has given universities in Wisconsin at least $3.8 billion in research funding, according to AUTM figures. That figure does not include 2025 figures for any school, nor does it include 2024 numbers for the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, which gets roughly three-fourths of all federal tech research funding that goes to Wisconsin.

AUTM, formerly known as the Association of University Technology Managers, represents over 3,000 universities, research centers, hospitals, businesses and government organizations involved in tech transfer.

Bayh-Dole Coalition Executive Director Joe Allen told WisBusiness that Lutnick’s idea would jeopardize the ROI the government currently gets, adding “the idea that the government’s somehow getting ripped off when the University of Wisconsin commercializes something is not accurate.”

“The government is funding research at any university, including your universities, for two purposes,” he argued. “One of which is a basic search, which is to expand human knowledge, and the other is for mission research, like to find a new sensor to help locate Chinese submarines, or whatever. That’s what they’re paying for.”

While AUTM doesn’t yet have federal funding figures from WARF, it does show the Madison-based tech transfer organization obtained 18 of the 20 total patents that came from federally funded research universities in Wisconsin in 2024.

The year 2023, the most recent year AUTM reports complete data for, shows clear correlation between an increase in federal funding and an increase in patents:

WARF received $816.8 million and obtained 19 patents;
The Medical College of Wisconsin received $162 million and obtained eight patents;
WiSys Technology Foundation, which supports public universities, received $11.3 million and obtained five patents;
The UW-Milwaukee Research Foundation received $19.7 million and obtained three patents; and
Marquette University received $20.1 million and obtained one patent.

Allen also noted the idea that Lutnick floated was considered back when the Bayh-Dole Act was being negotiated, but it was dropped because federal agencies found it would cost the government more money to monitor university agreements than a 50% royalty would generate.

He also argued it would stifle innovation in the U.S. because the royalty would cut into universities’ research funding, which would have to be made up in their budgets and would inevitably yield less money toward actual research.

Past Wisconsin Tech Council President Tom Still said “it would be a mistake” to roll back the legislation, which he said “released a torrent of innovation in America’s public universities and beyond, much to the benefit of America’s overall economy and its position in the world.”

“Less innovation means fewer patentable discoveries and fewer companies that can produce profits and tax revenue for all levels of government, not just the federal government,” he added. “Let’s not strangle the goose that has laid a lot of golden eggs over the last 45 years.”

Several of the Wisconsin universities noted in this story declined to comment on Lutnick’s idea, noting they usually don’t comment on policy issues unless a formal proposal is made.

— The Port of Green Bay’s tonnage report for September shows a dip compared to August, but the port expects to end the year “on par with recent years.”

September saw total domestic and foreign imports and exports fall to 162,050 metric tons from 244,675 in August. While domestic exports increased to 10,427 tons from 4,720 in August, domestic imports fell by almost 50,000 tons to 151,623 and foreign imports were nonexistent. Foreign imports amounted to 42,231 tons in August.

“There will always be ebbs and flows month-to-month, but we’re pleased with the steady increase in tonnage totals as the season advances,” Port Director Dean Haen said. “Key commodities are moving at a healthy pace, and if current trends hold, we anticipate closing the season on par with recent years.”

September 2024 saw 253,953 tons imported and exported and the port ended the year with a total of 1.7 million tons after 181 vessel visits.

So far this year 96 vessels have visited the eastern Wisconsin port with 19 of those coming in September. That’s also down from the 24 vessel visits in August.

See the release and a link to 2025 tonnage here.

— Kwik Trip has become the national leader in convenience store rankings, according to American Customer Satisfaction Index data.

The Wisconsin-based gas station convenience icon surged 8% in customer satisfaction compared to last year, enough to edge out Wawa on the East Coast and Pennsylvania’s Sheetz, which are tied for second. Wawa took home top honors last year.

ACSI’s Convenience Story Study in 2025 gave Kwik Trip a score of 84 compared to 82 for both WaWa and Sheetz. The nationwide average was 76 on a scale of 100.

QuikTrip, was down one point to 80 and Buc-ee’’s, which is soon entering Wisconsin’s convenience store market, was also down one point to 79.

See the release.

— The Madison International Trade Association today is hosting a luncheon ”Take your Logistics and Trade Partnerships to the Next Level.”

The speakers are Kevin Doucette, director, trade policy & security trade policy, and Ryan Hammett, director, market intelligence & insights at C.H. Robinson. They will share ideas on how organizations are looking at collaboration between logistics and trade as well as what works and what doesn’t.

Jenny Patzlaff, Supply Chain Practice director at UWEBC of UW-Madison, is the moderator.

Speakers are scheduled to begin at 12:30 p.m. with a Q&A session set for 1:15 – 2:00 p.m. after.

See more details and register here.

— The Nexus Sustainability Leaders Summit also starts its two-day long event at the Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee today.

This marks the second annual summit, a collaboration between The Water Council and the Marquette University College of Business Sustainability Lab. Today’s agenda begins with registration at 11 a.m. and continues throughout the day with topics such as how industries are furthering water stewardship efforts and how others are turning waste streams into revenue.

See more details and register here.

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