10 Year Review - The University of Akron

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We looked for excess office and lab space for our emerging enterprises. We noticed a "for lease" sign on two four-story buildings adjacent to campus in an area targeted by the University and the City of Akron for revitalization. We approached the owners and within a year, purchased the properties to form the Akron Innovation Campus. We now have 16 tenants and house our UARF outreach efforts and several of our supported emerging companies. We charge competitive rates on standard leases and provide space to emerging enterprises in exchange for equity. The Akron Innovation Campus creates a location for University-related innovation activity and the real estate becomes a nice visual promotion vehicle for our efforts. Of importance to the region’s economic growth, we support the formation of new enterprises including University-based startups. Overall, we have formed or supported the formation of 35 companies. Of those supported, not all are licensees of UA, and not all are spin-offs by definition of the Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM). Some were formed to facilitate access to SBIR and STTR funds. We formed one to demonstrate our commitment to action within 48 hours of our first in-person meeting with two international companies that wanted to form a joint venture with a U.S. presence. We also had an interim management group designated. In the Akron Polymer Systems model, we formed a university/faculty spin-off company to manufacture a compound already licensed to an end-user, who needed product. We had the scientific expertise in the faculty inventor and his graduate students. They are now a company of about 15 employees, many of whom are graduates of the UA polymer program. As another example of our outreach activity, we pursued licensing discussions with an out-of-state company, which led to the formation of an Ohio affiliate company to develop and exploit ceramic filtration technology. The move was not a requirement of the license, but the company saw value in the linkages and infrastructure we created at the University and moved to Akron. ACQUISITION OF PERSONNEL One of the innovative benefits of the research foundation model is the ability to attract and use skilled personnel for the benefit of the University without state support funding. In 2000, the university’s technology transfer business was handled by two state employees—an Assistant General Counsel and a Coordinator. Today, there are three Technology Transfer Office positions paid for by state funds—the Director, an Associate Vice President for Research, and an Administrative Assistant. In addition, there are 18 participants in the Office’s programs including full- and part-time employees, volunteers, student assistants and interns, who are not compensated by the state. This staff has 29
permitted and provided for the expansion of services, and fulfills roles, such as: technology data management, marketing, licensing, start-up support, real estate management, community outreach and public-private support. Financial support for these participants comes from non-state IDC accounts, UARF, and its for-profit companies: University Innovation Ventures, and Akron Innovation Campus. An example of the foregoing benefits is our enhanced ability to pursue entrepreneurship support. This has become one of our most important and rewarding strategies. We identified and appointed outstanding retirees as Senior Fellows of our Research Foundation. We were fortunate to find two kindred spirits who were completing their industry careers and were willing to invest their time, talents and networks in fostering innovation at the interface of industry and academia. These talented people are coming to appreciate and respect the academic culture while helping the academy learn to better interface with industry. We provided them with a title, a computer, a telephone, an email address, some expense money and the opportunity to be connected to emerging enterprises, where they can negotiate equity positions without the conflicts of interest inherent with those who are employees of the University or its research foundation. They are neither employees of, nor receive a salary from the University. We then turned this well qualified group loose with our full support. They became responsible for: Providing assessments, innovation and ideation services to regional companies, Being the primary drivers for several spin-off companies, Advising start-ups, Providing onsite innovation services for innovation campus tenants, Increasing recognition of UA’s technology expertise to multinational Fortune 50 companies, Linking faculty expertise and programs with regional companies, Establishing an angel network and pursuing an early stage investment fund, and Identifying, developing and securing a multi-million dollar sponsored program for the University. In addition to senior fellows, we have entrepreneurs-in-residence, one of whom is also a part-time employee of the chamber of commerce. This shared personnel mechanism improved the cooperation with the local chamber of commerce. The entrepreneurs-inresidence also support the senior fellows. OUTREACH The senior fellows formed and lead, with UARF assistance, the successful ARCHAngels investment network. The network is comprised of approximately 500 members and meets quarterly to review investment opportunities. As many as 80 students from regional colleges and universities attend the meetings as part of their courses in 30
Page 1 and 2: TEN YEAR REVIEW 2001-2010 Dr. Georg
Page 3 and 4: Appendix 1 Dr. George R. Newkome Ac
Page 5 and 6: Office of the Vice President for Re
Page 7 and 8: INTRODUCTION TO THE UA GRADUATE SCH
Page 9 and 10: Enrollment Not surprisingly, along
Page 11 and 12: Degrees Awarded Awarded graduate de
Page 13 and 14: GRADUATE SCHOOL INITIATIVES The com
Page 15 and 16: THE FUTURE OF THE UA GRADUATE SCHOO
Page 17 and 18: INTRODUCTION TO THE ORSSP The Offic
Page 19 and 20: OHIO RESEARCH AWARD DOLLARS *Source
Page 21 and 22: RESEARCH FACULTY *Source: The Unive
Page 23 and 24: AWARD DOLLARS Total Award Dollars b
Page 25 and 26: A DECADE IN TRANSITION At the turn
Page 27 and 28: silos among University departments,
Page 29: eimbursed, 40% goes to the inventor
Page 33 and 34: OTT & UARF ACTIVITIES We have been
Page 35 and 36: AUTM Active Licenses 45 40 35 30 33
Page 37 and 38: $7,000,000 License Revenue $6,000,0
Page 39 and 40: $6,000,000 UARF Net Assets $5,000,0
Page 41 and 42: Appendix 1 Academic Curriculum Vita
Page 43 and 44: Fellow, Royal Society of Chemistry,
Page 45 and 46: Bipyridines: Synthesis, Complexatio
Page 47 and 48: 37. Hassan, M. L.; Moorefield, Kott
Page 49 and 50: 79. Zhang, W.-B.; Tu, Y.; Ranjan, R
Page 51 and 52: 3. Invited Speaker, "Nanomeric Cons
Page 53 and 54: MEETINGS 1. Newkome, G. R.; Mishra,
Page 55 and 56: GRANTS Itemized Research Grants 1.
Page 57 and 58: Visiting 1. Ms. Francesca Cardullo
Page 59 and 60: Medicine. 11:145-161. Mark Tausig,
Page 61 and 62: Amod Pyakuryal, Mark Tausig, Sree S
Page 63 and 64: EDUCATION and ACTIVITIES 1963 Juris
Page 65 and 66: Entrepreneurial Studies Fellow Coll
Page 67 and 68: companies to access on an as needed
Page 69 and 70: Developed technology transfer polic
Page 71 and 72: Intellectual Property Management,
Page 73 and 74: Appendix 3 Graduate Headcount-Fall
Page 75 and 76: UA Graduate Headcount-Ethnicity by
Page 77 and 78: Headcount-Ethnicity Continued Maste
Page 79 and 80: Headcount-STEM/Non STEM Continued D

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