AMES, Iowa -- Iowa State University has been recognized as a national leader in research, technology transfer and entrepreneurship. Now, the university is launching new initiatives designed to build collaborative partnerships across the state to increase the number of university startup companies and connect the university's extensive research capabilities to existing Iowa companies.
These initiatives include:
-
Innovate Iowa Proof of Concept Initiative.
Iowa State is establishing an initiative that will focus on
increasing the transfer of technology while reducing the time
to commercialization. Technology and business development
will occur in parallel by engaging staff from the ISU
Research Foundation, ISU Research Park, Pappajohn Center for
Entrepreneurship and technology experts. This initiative will
provide a single, visible interface for faculty, staff, and
students seeking opportunities, and provide simplified,
coordinated communication. This will serve as an umbrella to
many of the new and existing programs described below.
- A reinvigorated process for prospect development and start-up company acceleration. The ISU Research Foundation, Research Park, and Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship are engaged in a strategic partnership to reinvigorate our approach to engaging students, staff, and faculty in entrepreneurial start-up activities. Information about this new process will be available in early 2012.
"Iowa State has the opportunity to assist in building the state's economy by transferring university discoveries and technologies to commercial development," said Sharron Quisenberry, vice president of research and economic development at Iowa State. "These collaborative efforts and partnerships among Iowa's Regent universities, the state, existing and startup companies and others will benefit the economy and create jobs."
The new efforts complement existing efforts at Iowa State:
-
Grow Iowa Values Fund (GIVF). This program
is the pre-cursor to and a source of funding for the Innovate
Iowa Proof of Concept Initiative and supports the development
of ISU innovations with commercial potential. GIVF helps ISU
technologies reach the marketplace as the foundation for new
Iowa companies and/or the growth of existing Iowa companies.
The grants program is supported by Iowa economic development
appropriations to the Board of Regents.
-
Business Plan Competition. Statewide
business plan competitions for students and Iowa based
startups provide early stage funding to launch and grow new
and early stage companies.
-
Business Incubators. The university provides
emerging entrepreneurs a variety of incubation options
ranging from on-campus incubators embedded within academic
facilities, to office and wet lab incubation facilities at
the Research Park. The incubation space is supplemented by a
unique set of pilot scale development facilities that support
emerging biorenewable enterprises.
-
Technology Commercialization Fund. The ISU
Research Foundation (ISURF) has an annual $200,000 fund to
further the development of technologies that are potentially
patentable. The focus of these funds increases the commercial
potential and value of the technology, thus increasing the
interest by industry. Projects funded will now be part of the
Innovate Iowa Proof of Concept Initiative described
above.
-
Investment Fund. The ISU Research Foundation
has an annual $200,000 seed fund to invest in early-stage
technology-based companies.
-
IPRT Company Assistance Contract Research
Fund. The Iowa State Institute for Physical Research
and Technology has a cost-sharing research fund that is
accessible to new and existing industry to develop new or
improved products or processes.
- University-Industry Demonstration Partnership (UIDP). The UIDP is a National Academies effort that is developing best practices to enhance relationships with private industry for research and commercialization efforts. Iowa State University is an active participant in the UIDP.