The end result was an egg that had 25 percent less fat and cholesterol on average. The technology behind the eggs was assigned to WARF, which filed for a patent. In turn, WARF licensed the technology to Century Acre Eggs, of which John Brunquell is one of five owners. They immediately applied it to the Century Acres business. WARF can quickly move technology from the lab to the business world.
Few communities can do that effectively.
As both discoverer and entrepreneur, Brunnquell offers a fairly seamless example of how WARF can foster economic development in the state and beyond. With its ability to both patent and license discoveries stemming from UW-Madison research, WARF can make technologies available to industry that would otherwise remain undeveloped. WARF director Richard Leazer says industry has been relying more than ever on universities as a research and development as a cost-effective way for businesses to stay competitive. We have the money to invest in patents, and we also have an infrastructure of people who can make the contacts with industry. Leazer says 40 percent of the income-produced licenses WARF manages have gone to Wisconsin companies, which has been a significant boon to the state economy.