Title: Member, Board of Directors, CEO
Category: Senior Managing Professional
Education: J.D., Law; Ph.D., Political Science; Registered Technology Transfer Professional certification
Dr. Speser is a founder of Foresight Science & Technology and the author of the best-selling textbook The Art and Science of Technology Transfer (John Wiley and Sons, 2006). He has supported commercialization of technologies across the breadth of science & technology, working for major corporations, SMEs, universities, government agencies, foundations, research institutes around the globe. As CEO his current focus is on Foresight’s global expansion and high value services for clients. He also spearheads the company’s research and product development. He is a frequent speaker on technology transfer, commercialization, high tech economic development, and science and technology policy. During his over 30 year career, he has taught Intellectual Property at the SUNY Buffalo Law School, Political Science at the Universität Mannheim (Germany) and SUNY Buffalo, and Archaeology at The American University in Washington, DC; been a multiple federal R&D award winner on projects involving artificial intelligence and other advanced methods applied to problems of transitioning and commercialization technology; and a lobbyist (Small Business Innovation Research, Small Business Technology Transfer Research, Stevenson-Wydler amendments, Archeological Resources Protection Act amendments, point on federal budget for the science community for 10 years, other legislation and related regulations). He also has been instrumental in the development of technology transfer programs such as the New York State Centers of Excellence as an advisor to Governor Hugh Carey. Dr. Speser is a member of the Bar Association of the District of Columbia, the Association of University Technology Managers (where he is a Vice president, member of the Board of Directors and on the Membership and Public Policy Committees), the Licensing Executives Society (where he is outgoing Chair, Strategic Alliance Committee), and a member of the Association of European Science and Technology Transfer Professionals.. He served two terms on the Board of the Technology Transfer Society, and is a recipient of that Society's Certificate of Appreciation (1991). He also was Chairman of its Task Force on National Technology Transfer Policy (1989-1991), and received Best Paper, Annual Meeting (1987). He was a gubernatorial appointment to the Board of the Washington Technology Center from 1994 to 1997. His Ph.D. and J.D., cum laude, are from the State University of New York at Buffalo, where he was in the first cohort of students awarded funding under the Baldy Joint Degree Program. His undergraduate degree in Political Science and Journalism is from Case Western Reserve University, where he was in the Undergraduate Scholars Program. He holds a Registered Technology Transfer Professional certification from the Alliance of Technology Trasnfer Professionals. He is a recipient of the Rhododendron Award from the Port Townsend School District for his work in science education and founder of the Northwest Natural Resources Group, a foundation supporting sustainable forestry.