PFI: Medical Technology Commercialization Clinic

University Of California-Davis, Davis CA

Investigators

Abstract

This Partnerships for Innovation (PFI) project--a Type III (C:A) partnership between University of California-Davis (UC Davis), an institution new to the PFI Program (defined as one that has never been a PFI grantee) and Fisk University (Nashville, TN), an NSF PFI graduate (0090526, )is focused on developing innovative medical technologies so as to bring them closer to market by assembling multidisciplinary teams that include faculty, STEM students (including those from underrepresented groups), MBA students, and experienced entrepreneurs. In the Medical Technology Commercialization Clinic (MTCC), the teams will assess technical feasibility, market potential and commercialization strategies for technologies of interest, under the leadership of Entrepreneurs-in-Residence (highly experienced, serial entrepreneurs) and with mentorship from the members of the partnership The broader impacts of the MTCC Partnership will provide an engine for transforming knowledge at the intersection of engineering, life sciences and medicine into innovations that contribute to the Sacramento region's economic development, while also educating STEM students (including underrepresented groups) and clinicians in technology transfer and entrepreneurship and giving them hands-on opportunities to assess the commercialization potential of the technologies they are developing. The proposed activities will: 1) develop a process that enables innovation and multidisciplinary team formation; 2) educate STEM students, medical researchers and faculty in technology transfer, entrepreneurship and commercialization; 3) promote the development of highly commercializable technologies to bring them closer to market; and 4) contribute to the Sacramento region's economic development by feeding its pipeline with trained workforce and startups. The collaboration with Fisk University will also make possible the exchange of innovation knowledge and skills between the Sacramento and Nashville regions. Partners at the inception of the project are Academic Institutions: University of California at David (lead institution), Fisk University, California State University, Sacramento, Los Rios Community College District; Private Sector Organizations: PRIDE Industries, T2 Venture Capital, and Wavepoint Ventures; and Public Sector Organizations: City of Sacramento, CA; City of West Sacramento, CA; Sacramento Area Region Technology Alliance (SARTA) MedStart Initiative, and Sacramento Area Region Technology Alliance (SARTA).