Innovation
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Energetic minds driving an innovation economy
USPTO gravitated to Denver for satellite office
Opened in 2014, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USTPO) in Denver, known as the Rocky Mountain Regional USPTO, was the first to begin operations in the western U.S.
The Rocky Mountain Regional USPTO office is one of just four regional offices located throughout the United States. The office houses 22 patent judges and 80 examiners. The new location is expected to generate an economic impact of $440 million in the first five years of operation.
The USPTO chose Denver because the region:
- Has one of the highest per capita rates of people with science and technology degrees.
- Has relatively low living costs.
- Offers an outstanding quality of life.
- Offers a desirable location in which to recruit and retain the most talented workers.
Colorado ranked tenth in the number of patents issued per one million people in 2018, and the USPTO’s satellite location in Denver continues to expand Colorado’s enviable high-tech and innovation economy.
The offices are designed to foster American innovation in the global marketplace, while at the same time help speed up the patent process, which had a backlog of 700,000 applications before the U.S. recession hit in 2008.
Read more about how USPTO will spark innovation in the West in Clark's Cone of Silence blog post.