Wayne State University
Wayne State University
Prentis Building, 5201 Cass Avenue, Detroit, MI 48202 • 313-577-2424
Technology Transfer
Technology Commercialization
http://www.techtransfer.wayne.edu/
The Technology Commercialization Office (TC) is responsible for the identification, protection, marketing and licensing of intellectual property (e.g., patents, unique biological or other materials, and copyrights) developed by WSU faculty. TC guides WSU researchers on the technology transfer process, including information and guidance on invention disclosures, material transfer agreements (MTAs) as well as WSU forms, policies and procedures. TC handles all aspects of the invention development process including the encouragement, assessment, protection and licensing of inventions; the post-licensing oversight of agreement compliance; distribution of royalties and fees; and record keeping for all aspects of WSU intellectual property technology transfer.
Venture Development Office. The Venture Development Office works with faculty, staff, students, and alumni to leverage Wayne State innovations and create early-stage technology companies. The focus of Venture Development is to establish the tools and relationships necessary to launch successful technology businesses. The Venture Development Office assists with early business concept planning, strategic business guidance, management team needs, as well as venture financing, including introductions to local, regional, and national angel investors and venture capital firms. The office provides new ventures with important connections to key professional networks.
WSU Entrepreneur's Network. The WSU Entrepreneur's Network was established in 2005 to foster an entrepreneurial environment among faculty on campus. Participants meet several times per semester to:
- Discuss the dynamics of spin-out company formation based on WSU innovations
- Interact with role models and professional resources for faculty who want to explore starting a company without leaving the university
- Identify opportunities to serve on technical advisory boards for new ventures.
The Venture Development Office facilitates the organization and scheduling of the meetings, and manages an e-mail list of interested faculty; periodically, articles addressing selected topics are circulated to the list.
In collaboration with the WSU School of Business Administration and the Division of Research the Venture Development office created an MBA level New Venture course. The course creates an interdisciplinary team of graduate students who evaluate current WSU inventions for commercial viability in a startup environment. MBA students present their findings and give recommendations for funding startup companies to a panel of angel and venture investors at the end of the semester long course.
Incubators
Tech Town
Tech Town, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, is a community of entrepreneurs, investors, mentors, service providers and corporate partners creating an internationally recognized entrepreneurial village in the city of Detroit. The organization provides support and access to capital needed to build high tech companies and also serves as a developer, facilitating commercial and residential projects.
TechTown supports several Centers of Excellence within which companies and non-profits are supported. These centers are: Bio-Banking, Advanced Engineering, Alternative Energy, and Engineering.
Some compelling advantages of TechTown:
- TechOne's affordable office, wet lab and dry lab space. On-site amenities include business and technical resources, Internet 2 capability, access to investors, custom designed work environments and a supportive community of entrepreneurs.
- Conveniently located blocks away from major highways I-75, I-94 and I-96. And TechTown is just 20 miles from Detroit Metro Airport where Northwest Airlines alone has 593 daily nonstop flights to 161 destinations in 11 countries, including four daily flights to Japan.
- Close proximity to major research institutions — Wayne State University, Henry Ford Health System and Karmanos Cancer Institute. NextEnergy, a nonprofit corporation founded to advance alternative energy in Michigan, built its $15 million, 45,000-square-foot headquarters across the street from TechTown.
- Access to Wayne State University's GRID Computing Lab and IT support from its Department of Computer Science.
- Additional large-scale development opportunities within TechTown’s 12-block research and technology park.
- Lower cost of living than other large U.S. cities.
- Opportunities to strengthen the surrounding community through math and science tutoring, mentoring and internship programs for local students.
Frontline Accelerator for Science and Technology: Smart Acceleration. The Frontline Accelerator for Science and Technology (FAST) is TechTown’s signature process for customizing a growth plan for technology start-ups. FAST is designed to inject essential resources into an emerging company at critical stages in its development. FAST clients work closely with TechTown staff and an array of business consultants and service providers to create and execute a detailed strategy for growth. Generally, entrepreneurs graduate from FAST in 24 to 36 months. Each application is reviewed by a committee with expertise in business research and venture development.
To be considered for admission to FAST a candidate companies must:
- Be a life sciences, homeland security, alternative energy or advanced automotive technology venture and have the rights to applicable platform technology;
- Be a for-profit entity as a sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company or corporation, or have expectations for the prompt formation thereof;
- Demonstrate a need for incubator services
- Have high growth potential;
- Agree to provide business metrics, such as location, number of employees, amount of investment funds attained and revenue figures for five years after successful graduation from FAST for reporting and statistical purposes.
DBI: Detroit-Based Initiative. The Detroit-Based Initiative (DBI) was developed by TechTown to provide for customized growth plans for Detroit-based minority and women owned start-ups. Like FAST, DBI is designed to inject essential business resources into an emerging company at critical stages in its development. DBI clients work closely with TechTown staff and business consultants to create and execute an individually developed strategy for growth. DBI resources are diverse, but limited. Consequently, their allocation is taken seriously. Each application is reviewed by a committee with expertise in business research and venture development.
To be considered for admission to DBI a candidate companies must:
- Be located in Detroit
- Be women and/or minority owned
- Be an established for-profit or not-for-profit entity or have expectations for the prompt formation thereof
- Demonstrate a need for incubator services;
- Agree to provide business metrics such as location, number of employees, amount of investment funds attained and revenue figures for five years after successful graduation from DBI for reporting and statistical purposes.
University-Industry Commercialization Programs
Industry Liaison
The Technology Commercialization Office provides a portal to the technologies, resources and faculty expertise at Wayne State University and facilitates a variety of academic–industry relationships. Interactions with industry include faculty consultants, industry sponsored research, collaborative academic-industry-government research partnerships and access of industry to state of the art facilities and cutting edge research. The industry liaison professionals are not only well versed in the faculty research and expertise but also cognizant of industrial climate and perspective and can identify and catalyze the establishment of productive and mutually beneficial academic-industry relationships. There is a cohesive interface between the industry liaison, intellectual property protection and licensing and venture development activities within the Technology Commercialization Office.
Entrepreneurship Education related to Economic Development
The EDGE - a Certificate Program for Engineering Entrepreneurs
This engineering certificate program exposes and trains engineering students in the entrepreneurial skills required to commercialize new ideas, technologies and products. The EDGE allows students to take courses in entrepreneurial marketing, finance, law and management in combination with traditional engineering courses in their major. Students have the opportunity to put learning into action by way of an entrepreneurial Capstone project in their field of study. Students also have access to extensive business launch support provided through CEO, Blackstone LaunchPad, TechTown and services provided by Colleges of Engineering, Business and Law.
Add section on Student Entrepreneurship Support Services
CEO - Collegiate Entrepreneurship Organization
The Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ OrganizationSM informs, supports, and inspires college students to be entrepreneurial and seek opportunity through enterprise creation. Wayne State's student chapter is an on campus affiliate of the national CEO organization and is open to university students of all disciplines interested in entrepreneurship. The organization provides students learning and networking opportunities through local chapter activities as well as the ability to participate in regional and national conferences, business plan and pitch competitions.
Blackstone LaunchPad
The Blackstone LaunchPad at Wayne State University is designed to promote the development of new entrepreneurs, helping students to transform untested ideas into vital businesses – providing the practical skills, seasoned advice, and professional contacts that make the difference. The program is currently open to all students.
In partnership with Automation Alley, the University of Miami, Wayne State University and Walsh College, The Blackstone Charitable Foundation made a $2 million grant to establish the Blackstone LaunchPad, a program it hopes will become a national model for fostering entrepreneurship through higher education, on the campuses of Wayne State University and Walsh College in Southeastern Michigan. The initiative supports innovative programs and ideas with potential for fostering entrepreneurship and, in turn, the high-growth businesses and industries that are known to spark economic growth.
E2adventure/ Business Plan Competitions
E2adventure is a one day competition for Wayne business students tied to the E2detroit annual conference (see description below) It consists of a reality-based business encounter to provide insight into the importance of a creative and collaborative management team, experienced leadership and copious amounts of faith and mettle. Over the course of the day, five teams consisting of one faculty member, one venture capitalist mentor and three business school students - with representation from management, entrepreneurship and marketing classes - will compete to sell a product or service to the entire campus community. Each team receives $100 seed money to create a product/service and marketing campaign and execute the plan on the Wayne State University campus. In addition, they will control a budget of “virtual dollars” to purchase prime booth space, advertising and other marketing tools for on-campus use. On day two, the E2adventure teams will be evaluated on the number of business units sold and other key criteria by an expert panel of judges. E2detroit will award valuable prizes to the winning students and reward the winning faculty member with a research grant.
Adams Entrepreneur Fellowship
The Adams Entrepreneur Fellowship in the School of Business Administration is supported by a grant from the Community Foundation for Southeastern Michigan. The program selects an undergraduate Adams Fellow to work with an entrepreneur for one year. The award recipient participates in the assessment of new ventures as well as the management of an entrepreneur established firm. This grant will offer the Fellow compensation of $70,000 plus a generous benefits package for the one year period. Eligibility is restricted to applicants who reside in southeastern Michigan and who plan to continue that residency during the fellowship period.
Economic Development/Outreach
E2detroit 2009 Entrepreneurial Symposium
In today’s business world, you can’t afford to launch that great company or that great idea with anything but the perfect lineup of people. That’s what makes
E2 Detroit 2009 -- “Developing the Right Entrepreneurial Team,” so timely. With panel discussions such as “How to Make Your Company More Entrepreneurial,” this year’s gathering is as fast-paced as today’s business climate.
Matt Roush, technology editor of WWJ Newsradio 950's Great Lakes IT Report, will emcee E2 Detroit 2009, which once again brings together expert authors, speakers, successful leaders and high-powered investors for a program that educates and inspires.
E2 Detroit is focused on establishing Michigan as an enterprise hub and Wayne State University as a premier training ground for entrepreneurship. Attendees will gain knowledge to create start-up companies and generate new jobs. From topics like, "Building a Culture of Entrepreneurship" to "Selecting the Right Business Model," attendees will learn important information on timely issues led by nationally and locally recognized leaders in the business development community.
Small Business Law Clinic
WSU’s Law School has established a Small Business Law Clinic for students to represent for-profit and nonprofit organizations in the metropolitan Detroit area that are unable to afford to pay for legal services. Services include: counseling on business entity formation and corporate governance; preparing federal tax-exempt applications; reviewing, counseling and negotiating commercial real estate leases, purchase agreements and loan document, and; counseling regarding trademarks and copyrights and preparation of trademark and copyright applications.