Journal of Engineering Education Transformations

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Accelerating Technology Commercializationuniversity of Akron (Ohio) Using the NSF I-Corps Model


Affiliations
1 Innovation Practice Center, University of Akron, 411 Wolf Ledges Pkwy, Akron, Ohio, 44311, United States
2 University of Akron Research Foundation 411 Wolf Ledges Pkwy, Akron, Ohio, 44311, United States
     

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The paper explores the new technology commercialization model being followed at The University of Akron (UA).UA has implemented the National Science Foundation (NSF)Innovation ICorpsTMmodel since 2013. This paper describes how the NSF I-Corps model has changed the innovation culture at UA and allowed the academic faculty to explore the business potential of their intellectual property.Differences in implementation across several I-Corps Sites are explored. The lessons from UA's experience show that the I-Corps Sites program has been a resounding success and helped faculty and students to become more entrepreneurial in exploring the commercial value and demand drivers of technologies invented at UA.

Keywords

University of Akron, I-Corps, NSF, University, Technology, Commercialization, Startup, Spinoffs, Mentors, Entrepreneurship, Proof of Concept, Customer Discovery.
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  • Accelerating Technology Commercializationuniversity of Akron (Ohio) Using the NSF I-Corps Model

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Authors

Gopal Nadkarni
Innovation Practice Center, University of Akron, 411 Wolf Ledges Pkwy, Akron, Ohio, 44311, United States
Elyse Ball
University of Akron Research Foundation 411 Wolf Ledges Pkwy, Akron, Ohio, 44311, United States
Daniel Hampu
University of Akron Research Foundation 411 Wolf Ledges Pkwy, Akron, Ohio, 44311, United States

Abstract


The paper explores the new technology commercialization model being followed at The University of Akron (UA).UA has implemented the National Science Foundation (NSF)Innovation ICorpsTMmodel since 2013. This paper describes how the NSF I-Corps model has changed the innovation culture at UA and allowed the academic faculty to explore the business potential of their intellectual property.Differences in implementation across several I-Corps Sites are explored. The lessons from UA's experience show that the I-Corps Sites program has been a resounding success and helped faculty and students to become more entrepreneurial in exploring the commercial value and demand drivers of technologies invented at UA.

Keywords


University of Akron, I-Corps, NSF, University, Technology, Commercialization, Startup, Spinoffs, Mentors, Entrepreneurship, Proof of Concept, Customer Discovery.