With one of the highest concentrations of federal research laboratories of any state, Colorado's scientific and business communities have taken a unique interest in technology transfer strategies in recent years. In an effort to streamline communications between public and private sector stakeholders, Senator Michael Bennet recently submitted a letter of inquiry to the U.S. Government Accountability Office requesting a comprehensive investigation into the efficacy of these unique patent licensing arrangements.

Among the state's 24 federal and university research facilities, there are a number of existing avenues for facilitating cross-sector collaboration. But according to The Denver Post, industry professionals have consistently voiced their frustration with the complexity and bureaucracy surrounding these channels.

"There are a lot of small businesses that know what they need, but they don't know how to articulate it. The same on the (laboratory) side," Holli Riebel, Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce COO, told the news source. "They aren't really speaking the same language."

This review could come at a crucial time now that the majority of America Invents Act provisions are in effect. As Colorado State University technology transfer director Todd Headley explained in an editorial for The Coloradoan, patent application processing speed is now all the more important, and lingering administrative roadblocks must be identified and eliminated.