By: Steve Raabe
Source: www.denverpost.com
Category: Patent News
Downtown Denver will get a jolt of prestige and economic benefit as the site of new U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
The office will be located in the Byron G. Rogers federal office building at 1960 Stout St.
The facility will employ about 130 workers initially, with employment projected to grow to as high as 595 after five years. Economists have projected its total economic impact at $439 million over five years.
Federal officials announced last month that metro Denver would be the site of one of four new patent offices across the nation. The agency is believed to have looked at potential office sites in Stapleton, the Central Platte Valley, the Denver Federal Center and other metro locations before deciding on a downtown location.
"Obviously we're delighted to have them downtown," said Jim Kirchheimer, senior vice president of economic development at the Downtown Denver Partnership. "But we're also delighted for what it means for all of metro Denver and Colorado."
Kirchheimer said the location announcement showcases downtown's "culture of innovation and entrepreneurship, and that downtown Denver is really the hub of that sector."
Other new patent offices will be located in Detroit, Dallas-Fort Worth and San Jose. The agency is expanding in an effort to reduce a backlog of patent applications and create a regional presence in areas with active research and development sectors.
"This brings us one step closer to opening Colorado's regional patent office and delivering the jobs and economic development that come with it," said U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., in a statement. "The patent office will firmly establish our state as a destination for inventors and entrepreneurs and bolster our reputation as a hotbed for cutting-edge industries with deeply embedded cultures of innovation."
The Denver office is expected to open by 2014.
Patent examiners in Denver will earn an estimated average salary of $90,000, according to a recent study conducted by the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado.
Officials said Denver was selected as one of the new regional offices because of a relatively low cost of living and high quality of life that will aid in the recruitment of top talent.
Source: http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_21376866/new-patent-office-be-downtown-denver
