I-Corps Sites: LSU Emerging Technology Preparation (LA EMTEC Prep) Program

Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge LA

Investigators

Abstract

This project, from Louisiana State University (LSU), creates an Innovation Corps Site (I-Corps Site) NSF Innovation Corps (I-Corps) Sites are NSF-funded entities established at universities whose purpose is to nurture and support multiple, local teams to transition their technology concepts into the marketplace. Sites provide infrastructure, advice, resources, networking opportunities, training and modest funding to enable groups to transition their work into the marketplace or into becoming I-Corps Team applicants. I-Corps Sites also strengthen innovation locally and regionally and contribute to the National Innovation Network of mentors, researchers, entrepreneurs and investors. Louisiana State University's (LSU) I-Corps Site nurtures and supports multiple, local teams of faculty, students, and the LSU community that are transitioning their ideas, devices, processes or other intellectual activities into the marketplace. The LSU Emerging Technology Preparation (LA EMTEC Prep) program provides training, education, and mentorship to LSU faculty, students, and the community through a six to eight week training program focused on Intellectual Property, the Business Model Canvas, Basics of Licensing and Technology Transfer, Small Business Innovation Research Grants, I-Corps Teams, and other funding mechanisms, Customer Discover and Hypothesis Validation, and Early Stage funding for Research Intensive Companies. Projects can originate from student work, funded or unfunded research at LSU, institutional, or industrial projects. The LA EMTEC Prep program makes LSU technology more competitive in funding programs, as well as increasing the number of new start-up businesses, licensing agreements, and third-party investor reviews stemming from LSU based innovations. The LA EMTEC Prep program improves commercialization outcomes for LSU technologies by encouraging researchers (including Post-Doctoral scholar, graduate student, undergraduate, or professional staff) to tackle marketability questions early in their research process and pivot their research accordingly, by training LSU researchers and students on commercialization principles, and by better preparing all parties at LSU to succeed in I-Corps Teams and other intensive assessment programs. Over time, LSU's participation in I-Corps Sites will (1) stimulate the translation of fundamental university-based research into commercially viable technologies, (2) encourage faculty, students, and community-based industry personnel to collaborate around early stage university technologies, and (3) enhance the understanding of faculty, students, and community-based industry partners through hands-on training and experiential learning in innovation and entrepreneurship.