Michigan Technological University
Michigan Technological University
1400 Townsend Dr. Houghton, MI 49931-1295 • 906-487-1885
Technology Transfer
Office of Technology and Economic Development (TED)
The Office of Technology and Economic Development (TED) facilitates connections between Michigan Tech's research capabilities and prospective industrial partners by identifying people, facilities and technologies that can develop unique and innovative solutions to challenging technical problems. The TED office also supports the transfer of knowledge and technology from the Michigan Technological University campus to the private sector. TED works with faculty, staff, and student inventors and with prospective licensees to evaluate disclosures, obtain proprietary protection, market technology, and negotiate the terms and conditions of license agreements. Michigan Tech currently holds 46 active patents, including 32 U.S. and 14 foreign patents.
Terms and conditions for licensing agreements are negotiated on a case-by-case basis. Often, additional research and development are needed in order to bring a technology to the market. In consideration for corporate-sponsored research, exclusive license and option-to-license arrangements can be negotiated. The office also maintains a searchable database, TechFinder (www.techfinder.mtu.edu), that lists technologies available for licensing, and research facilities and equipment that can help solve your technical needs.
Office of Research and Sponsored Programs
http://www.admin.mtu.edu/research/vpr/rsp.html
The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs handles all proposal submissions and contract negotiation for non-industrial (federal, state, and other) grants and contracts for sponsored research.
Multi-University Technological and Expertise Assets Management for Enterprise Development
Michigan Technological University is the lead partner in U-TEAMED, a collaborative effort seeking to promote and expand the utilization of research and intellectual property assets at universities with emerging and established small sponsored research programs. A complementary goal is to increase technological collaborations between these institutions. The primary goal of U-TEAMED is to advance the research and commercialization objectives of the participating institutions by leveraging complementary experiences, networks, and core competencies and through actively promoting their research and intellectual property assets. These assets encompass the entire research enterprise including, for example: expertise and core competencies of individual researchers, research groups, and research centers; invention disclosures and patents; and laboratories, equipment, and other specialized facilities. The current participants of U-TEAMED are: Michigan Technological University (lead partner), Central Michigan University, Eastern Michigan University, and Oakland University.
Incubators
Michigan Tech Enterprise Corporation (MTEC)/SmartZone
The Michigan Tech Enterprise Corporation (MTEC) is a private, non-profit corporation that was set up to manage the SmartZone. While MTEC and the SmartZone incorporate Michigan Tech’s name to identify the affiliation, MTEC is an independent corporation and is not financially supported by the university.
MTEC is accomplishing its mission by offering programs and services that encourage entrepreneurial development and that help ensure the success of start-ups and small companies. These programs and services include the following activities:
- Incubators: three different incubators to attract start-ups and corporate branch offices, with flexible leases and shared office equipment and services;
- Business Development Programs: programs that are designed to address specific needs of entrepreneurs, such as Investment Forums, Educational Workshops, and Networking Events;
- Business Services: access to a network of Financial, Legal, Business and Marketing consultants and service providers, usually at reduced rates;
- Student Programs: entrepreneurial internships and co-op opportunities that provide real-world experiences for the students and inexpensive quality assistance to the entrepreneur.
SmartTrac: SmartTrac is a program supported by an initial grant from the MTEC SmartZone with the goal of advancing innovations from the Michigan Tech Enterprise Program. SmartTrac teams are comprised of engineering, business, and industrial design students from Michigan Tech and Finlandia University working in an accelerated business environment at the MTEC SmartZone. The students commit to, and are compensated for, two summers of work for the SmartTrac program, with the first summer devoted to researching technology to create a business and the second summer devoted to bringing the product to market. The first group of SmartTrac students began in the summer of 2007 and are in the process of incorporating a company to commercialize medical device technology developed in Michigan Tech’s biomedical engineering department.
University-Industry Commercialization Programs
Center for Technological Innovation, Leadership and Entrepreneurship (CenTILE)
Robert Mark, Dir., School of Business and Economics, remark@mtu.edu, 906/487-2710
The purpose of CenTILE is to foster technological innovation by developing entrepreneurial thinking and action at multiple levels and across multiple disciplines in order to create economic value and meet societal needs. CenTILE defines technology broadly, inclusive of the natural and physical sciences, engineering, and information technology. CenTILE will distinguish itself from existing entrepreneurship centers by emphasizing the research and practice of technological innovation and technological entrepreneurship. These include both entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial activities of individuals, groups, firms, industries, and institutions operating in technology-intensive environments.
A primary target of CenTILE is developing methods and models for nurturing early stage technologies developed by faculty, students, and research staff at Michigan Tech through to commercialization. Assessment of commercial feasibility of innovations is critical to success. CenTILE will also be a facilitator which links educational activities such as the Michigan Tech Enterprise Program, the Pavlis Global Technological Leadership Programs, and Rural Entrepreneurship through Action Learning (REAL), with administrative units such as Technology and Economic Development (TED), local economic development organizations such as the Michigan Tech Enterprise Corporation (MTEC)/SmartZone and Keweenaw Economic Development Alliance (KEDA), and regional organizations such as the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC).
Enterprise Program
http://www.enterprise.mtu.edu/
The Enterprise program consists of:
- A team of students that operates like a company to solve real-world problems
- A learning atmosphere
- A program that emphasizes sustainability, ethics, safety, innovation, creativity, teamwork, and communication
Enterprise teams perform testing and analysis, make recommendations, manufacture parts, develop products and processes, provide services, meet budgets and schedules, and manage multiple projects. Faculty members act as coaches and mentors. Industry sponsors advise and guide.
Students develop the critical skills needed to succeed in today’s fast-paced, ever-changing work environment. And industry sponsors gain a fresh look at important problems—and potential solutions—through the eyes of an unbiased team. After awhile, students no longer feel like students—they feel like professionals, and they own their education.
Industrial participation is a critical component of the Enterprise program. Sponsorship of an Enterprise takes several forms including:
- designation of professionals within the company to serve as mentors who communicate with students about technical matters.
- provision of materials relevant to the project
- visits to the campus from program planning and evaluation of student reports and presentations
- provision of testing and processing facilities not available on campus
- financial support of $35,000 per year (at the partnership level)
Entrepreneurship Education related to Economic Development
Internships/Co-ops
MTEC (see description above) sponsors student programs - entrepreneurial internships and co-op opportunities - intended to provide real-world experiences for the students and inexpensive quality assistance to the entrepreneur.
Business Plan Competitions
The Great Lakes Entrepreneur's Quest aspires to be an engine for the formation of new, high-growth companies in Michigan. The mission of the Great Lakes Entrepreneur's Quest, and its competition, is to continually encourage and educate entrepreneurs on the creation, start up and early growth stages of high-growth businesses within the state of Michigan. This will be accomplished by linking entrepreneurs pursuing high-growth opportunities with access to a statewide network of community resources, expert advice, high quality education, management talent and capital at every stage of development. GLEQ's competition will provide a venue for feedback from successful entrepreneurs and investors on ideas and plans submitted and will recognize the most promising entrepreneurs and their businesses.
- Michigan Tech students participate in the Great Lakes Entrepreneurs' Quest (http://gleq.org/gleq.nsf/index.html ), a five-month business plan competition, which offers prizes for the best business plans submitted. In phase 1, a winner and two runners-up are selected from each of the three regions of Michigan: north, east and west. The Quest also provides opportunities for education, mentoring, networking and visibility for participants and their business concepts. It is supported by the Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and the W. K. Kellogg Foundation.
Economic Development/Outreach
Keweenaw Economic Development Alliance (KEDA)
CenTILE acts as a facilitator linking educational activities to the Keweenaw Economic Development Alliance (KEDA), formerly the Keweenaw Industrial Council, takes a leadership role in Houghton, Keweenaw and Baraga Counties--helping to expand and diversify the area's economic base in order to create family sustaining employment and to increase the economic well-being of our area. KEDA designs and implements proactive, environmentally sensitive programs that are focused on retaining and expanding existing firms, starting up new businesses, attracting entrepreneurs and companies to the Keweenaw and initiating projects that create the conditions for future economic growth.
Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC)
The Office of Technology and Economic Development at Michigan Tech works closely with the Region 1 and Statewide SBTDC offices to support the delivery of SBTDC services to regional entrepreneurs and startup companies. These services are delivered directly by TED staff under a contract with Region 1 and through referral of regional entrepreneurs and companies to resources across the statewide SBTDC network.