I-Corps Sites: Type I - Center for Innovation, Commercialization, and Entrepreneurship (ICE) I-Corps Site

University Of Alaska Fairbanks Campus, Fairbanks AK

Investigators

Abstract

With this project, the Center for Innovation, Commercialization, and Entrepreneurship (Center ICE) hosts a National Science Foundation I-Corps Site. 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. Center ICE is an innovation hub located at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF), which is the flagship research campus at the University of Alaska. This I-Corps Site is administered out of UAF but is open to all members of the UA community - UAF, the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA), and the University of Alaska Southeast. This I-Corps Site capitalizes on Alaska's existing entrepreneurial ecosystem and amplifies its effect. An I-Corps Site also complements current efforts from the Office of Naval Research to solidify and grow innovation and entrepreneurship, including bringing experienced Lean Launch educators to Alaska. In addition, there is a goal to set up a system that uniformly serves the entire state and not just the UA Fairbanks campus, including a focus on native Americans and rural areas. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.