Student-led companies expand the nanotechnology innovation ecosystem
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Student-led companies expand the nanotechnology innovation ecosystem
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nnovation and entrepreneurship are engines of the economy. As such, they are central to the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) and its mission to expedite the discovery, development, and deployment of nanoscale science to serve the public good. NNI agencies have been supporting efforts to promote innovation and train the next generation of nanotechnology entrepreneurs through programs such as the National Institute of Health’s Translation of Nanotechnology in Cancer Consortium, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research-supported Nano-Bio Manufacturing Consortium, and the National Science Foundation’s (NSF’s) Innovation Corps. However, fostering innovation and entrepreneurship is not just the role of the federal government. Colleges and universities, professional societies, business accelerators, public–private partnerships, and other organizations are creating opportunities for young professionals, from undergraduate students to postdocs, to
gain experience and skills in these critical areas and to prepare for successful careers. These activities go beyond formal classroom training experiences. They vary from networking events that provide opportunities for students to interact with successful entrepreneurs to competitions for student teams to win funding to start their own companies. Efforts such as these are breeding success as a number of student-led companies are springing up around the country. Universities have always played a critical role in fostering innovation and the transfer of discoveries from the lab to market. However, many educational institutions are becoming more creative in their efforts to spur innovation and support student entrepreneurs. For example, the University Innovation Fellows Program, established under the NSF-funded National Center for Engineering Pathways to Innovation (Epicenter) at Stanford University, is fostering a nationwide network of
The AuTACA team, a startup from Wake Forest School of Medicine and winner of the NSC2 Innovation Excellence Award administered by the Center for Advancing Innovation and NIH.
students that work to build an innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem at their respective schools. Currently, there are 607 University Innovation Fellows at 143 colleges and universities across the United States. These Fellows work with the faculty and administration at their home institutions on a variety of activities, including creating innovation, collaboration, or maker spaces; forming entrepreneurship clubs; creating and modifying courses; leading workshops; and organizing competitions. This program empowers students of all disciplines to create an entrepreneurial culture. Virginia Tech’s Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science recently sponsored a Nanotechnology Entrepreneurship Challenge for undergraduate and graduate students with the goal of taking nanoscale science and engineering discoveries from lab concept to commercial product. The first round of this challenge,
