Effectively accelerating the transition of university research into successful companies—going from workbench to marketplace—is a core challenge of today’s engineering schools. A new approach to this challenge comes from UCLA, where the Samueli Foundation has funded the establishment of the Institute for Technology Advancement (ITA), an off-site, independent 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to the commercialization of high-value, innovative UCLA technology.
ITA’s operational model has three key components. First, it operates as a business-development organization that works closely with faculty and students to interface with government and other funding agencies, leveraging UCLA technology and innovations to shape and capture major new research programs. Second, ITA works to identify and transition new technology to start-ups, providing funding and facilities to enable faculty and student entrepreneurs to establish successful companies. Third, ITA facilitates applied research and development programs at UCLA for industry and government agencies.
The integration of these three objectives in an off-site institute enables UCLA to obtain funding and programs that would otherwise not be available, leverage university research to fuel start-up companies, and work closely with other organizations to perform applied research and development.
Each presenter will provide his perspective on how ITA was formed, the intent and purpose behind its formation, an overview of how it operates, and a look at its potential for replication elsewhere.