Following Shaheen Advocacy, USPTO Establishes Northern New England Community Outreach Office in New Hampshire
(Washington, DC) – Today, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Chair of the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, applauded the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)’s decision to establish the Northern New England Community Outreach Office (NNECOO) in Strafford County, New Hampshire. This announcement comes after Shaheen sent a letter to USPTO Director Kathi Vidal advocating for the office’s establishment in New Hampshire.
“The Granite State has a fast growing innovation ecosystem and the establishment of this Northern New England Community Outreach Office in New Hampshire is going to help accelerate efforts to develop and diversify that ecosystem,” said Senator Shaheen. “I’m grateful that Director Vidal and the USPTO leadership heeded my calls to select New Hampshire as this hub for entrepreneurs and innovators across New England, and I look forward to seeing how this helps spur more economic development here and across the region.”
This announcement comes as part of the Unleashing American Innovators Act of 2022, which directed the USPTO to establish a community outreach office in the northern New England region within five years of enactment. Community outreach offices “partner with community organizations, institutions of higher education, research institutions, and businesses to create community-based programs that provide education regarding the patent system” and “promote career benefits of innovation and entrepreneurship.” The decision on the location for the Northern New England community outreach office was based on the following criteria:
- Located in an area with at least one public and one private institution of higher education;
- In a jurisdiction with 15 or fewer registered patent attorneys;
- In a jurisdiction where women, minorities, and veteran-owned businesses comprise less than 45% of total business ownership.
The area of Strafford County, New Hampshire was selected for its diversity in business ownership and number of private and public higher education institutions near the area. The new office will join the current USPTO offices in Alexandria, Dallas, Denver, Detroit and San Jose.
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