The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) supports the Obama administration’s Smart City Initiative by helping ensure that innovators have the resources they need to bring inventive concepts to life. The Midwest Regional U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is leading the way to use science and technology to accelerate economic growth in Detroit and the Midwest region.

Patent examiners at the office review patent applications in a variety of technology areas, among them a growing number associated with “smart city” technologies. These include sensor data collection, autonomous vehicles, smart-grid technology, resource optimization, utility performance and measurement, and other technologies related to sharing municipal resources. 

Detroit, already known as the Motor City, may soon become a new hub for autonomous vehicle technology. Automotive News recently reported that Google is searching for a new space in the Midwest—with a focus on Michigan—for more research and development of self-driving vehicles. This new technology could be crucial in enabling our cities to find better ways to reduce traffic congestion, fight crime, and foster economic development.

The USPTO’s Midwest Regional Office also works closely with planning and economic development councils in the Midwest to support economic growth, holds free public events such as Saturday seminars to provide resources and information to help local innovators, and organizes science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) events and career fairs to support technology education and job creation.

Addressing the importance of smart city technology, Dr. Christal Sheppard, director of the Midwest Regional Office says, “Using technology to improve our quality of life and to improve services within Detroit, the Smart City Initiative is paramount to the successful renaissance of Detroit and to the mission of the USPTO generally. We are pleased to serve as a local hub of innovation and education while fostering competitiveness and economic growth in this and all fields of technology. This has been the mission of the USPTO for over 225 years.”

Finally, all of the USPTO’s offices across the country continue to be at the forefront of telework, efficient commuting, and energy-efficient building initiatives. With more than 10,000 employees participating in an agency telework program nationwide, the USPTO is doing its part to help reduce traffic and congestion and maintain operations in inclement weather, during system outages, and in times with limited availability of on-site resources. Learn more about how the USPTO maintained production and efficiency during a recent 2016 East Coast snowstorm.