Isaac Kohlberg, who has run Harvard University’s Office of Technology Development (OTD) for two decades, is retiring at the end of this year.
Kohlberg has been senior associate provost and chief technology development officer since 2005, when he joined Harvard to establish the OTD – consolidating Harvard’s commercialisation activities into a single office.
Over the past five years alone, the OTD has launched 96 spinouts that have raised more than $2.8 billion to date, processed more than 2,000 invention disclosures, secured 897 patents and brought in $300 million in research funding through industry partnerships.
Kohlberg also oversaw the creation of three funds – the Blavatnik Biomedical Accelerator, the Grid Accelerator, and the Climate and Sustainability Translational Fund – which provide capital and business development support to translational research projects.
Kohlberg has also been dedicated to academic independence and making a societal impact. When it comes to corporate partnerships, faculty determine research agendas and discoveries always remain accessible for humanitarian licensing or use in developing countries, even if they are commercially exploited by the industry partner.
“As I begin the next chapter of my life, I am deeply proud of all we have accomplished together. Harvard’s community has shown what’s possible when great ideas are met with entrepreneurial spirit, smart funding, and a commitment to the public good. The next wave of discovery and impact is just beginning.”
– Isaac Kohlberg
Before coming to Harvard, Kohlberg was the chief executive officer of Ramot, the tech transfer office at Tel Aviv University, for four years.
He held a range of positions with New York University from 1989 to 2001, establishing the institution’s tech transfer office. Before this, he was managing director of Yeda Research and Development, the commercialisation arm of the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel.
Kohlberg will remain an adviser to Harvard upon his retirement. The university will launch a search for his successor in the coming weeks.