On December 15, 2025, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) announced Montana as “the first of several new locations of community engagement offices to serve innovators.”
Per the USPTO, “[t]he office will be housed at Montana State University, a top-tier research university, serving as a national leader in optics, bioscience, and agricultural technology. As the host of the new community engagement office, it will carry out the strategic direction of the USPTO’s Office of Public Engagement and ensure the USPTO’s initiatives and programs are tailored to the area’s ecosystem of industries and stakeholders.”
The USPTO also indicated that Montana State University was selected based upon meeting the USPTO’s stated criteria of having:
robust research activity and graduate-level programs of study in areas which lead to innovations, IP, and IP-intensive companies/industries;
availability and concentration of existing commercialization and business development resources; and
