University of Central Florida I-Corps Sites: Enhancing Technology Commercialization to Develop a World-Class Innovation Ecosystem

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With this award, the University of Central Florida develops an I-Corps Site to enhance technology commercialization to develop a world-class innovation ecosystem. The goal of the UCF I-Corps Sites program is to enhance the transition of UCF research into the marketplace, and to increase the number of I-Corps teams, ventures, and spin-off companies.The UCF I-Corps Sites program will enable the university to expand its entrepreneurship offerings to reach additional prospective and under-represented participants, and to realign its entrepreneurship programming across campus in order to create a steady supply of entrepreneurial teams. The UCF I-Corps Sites program will provide entrepreneurial services to approximately 32 teams per year and consist of the following elements: (1) Recruiting technology entrepreneurial teams across UCF campus with special efforts to recruit women, underrepresented minorities, and graduate students. (2) Implementation of the Business Model Canvas workshop as a prerequisite for the program.Direct team support will be coordinated by the existing UCF Venture Accelerator for activities such as: acquisition of fabrication materials and work at two prototyping labs; travel expenses; entrepreneurial training; booth at the "Innovation Concourse of the Southeast"; market research, ombudsman assistance, business planning, SBRI assistance, coaching network, investment capital assistance, and shared office space.Broader ImpactsThe University of Central Florida I-Corps Sites program will serve to enhance and strengthen Central Florida's growing innovation ecosystem, contributing towards the development of a stronger national ecosystem. UCF is an active leader and an engaged partner in the Central Florida innovation ecosystem and cultivates new and nurtures existing partnerships that bring together businesses, academia, research centers, and communities to jointly deliver societal benefits such as high-value job creation, and economic growth for the region.