I-Corps Sites: Southeastern Wisconsin - Enhancing Regional Technology Commercialization

该项目在威斯康星大学密尔沃基分校（UWM）创建了一个I-Corps站点。美国国家科学基金会创新队（I-Corps）站点是由美国国家科学基金会资助的实体，建立在大学里，其目的是培养和支持多个本地团队，将他们的技术概念转化为市场。网站提供基础设施、建议、资源、网络机会、培训和适度的资金，使团体能够将他们的工作转化为市场或成为I-Corps团队的申请人。I-Corps站点还加强地方和区域创新，并为由导师、研究人员、企业家和投资者组成的国家创新网络做出贡献。为了帮助威斯康星州发展经济，威斯康星大学和区域合作伙伴启动了一个国家科学基金会I-Corps网站，以加强威斯康星州东南部的技术商业化。该网站利用了五所地区大学之间现有的合作伙伴关系：威斯康星大学密尔沃基分校、马奎特大学、密尔沃基工程学院、威斯康星医学院和威斯康星康考迪亚大学。威斯康星州东南部拥有1200多家制造公司，在国内和国际市场上拥有合作伙伴关系，覆盖全球大多数行业领域。通过建立网站，为I-Corps团队的组建和发展创建了一个强大的框架，从而增加了商业化活动的数量，并提高了获得业务组建和发展所需资源的成功率。UWM网站解决了威斯康星州东南部学术机构和行业的三个重要需求：(1)需要增加与应用学术研究和教师/学生创新商业化相关的活动水平，(2)需要建立一个创新/商业化网络，为教师和/或学生企业提供多方面的支持，以及(3)需要扩大学生和教师熟练的LLP方法。UWM利用联邦经济发展局的支持，投资800万美元在新的UWM创新园区建设创新加速器，该园区毗邻威斯康星医学院（MCW）、威斯康星血液研究所、威斯康星两家主要医院和通用电气医疗集团。加速器用于实现网站的课程目标。它满足在医疗保健领域工作的团队的低分辨率和更高级的原型需求，并为MCW和UWM之间的协作提供了一个焦点。在先进制造领域工作的团队利用密尔沃基工程学院和UWM的设施和资源。全球水中心为淡水团队提供支持，而威斯康星大学主校区是能源研究团队的中心。UWM研究基金会管理网站并协调网络。拟议场地的更广泛的社会影响包括为消费者带来更多的创新技术和解决方案，以解决医疗保健、能源、淡水和其他领域的问题。该网站与成员机构内现有的外展项目合作。UWM I-Corps网站的商业影响将通过通过LLP过程的团队和参与者的数量，提交的联邦/州/地方拨款提案的数量和价值，提交提案的成功率，筹集的资金，启动的初创公司的数量，技术许可的数量，以及队列团队和团队成员之间新的研究合作的数量来衡量-所有这些都有利于该地区和国家。

This project creates an I-Corps Site at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM). NSF 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.To help Wisconsin grow its economy, UWM and regional partners launched an NSF I-Corps site to enhance technology commercialization in southeastern Wisconsin. This site leverages the existing partnerships among five regional universities: University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Marquette University, Milwaukee School of Engineering, Medical College of Wisconsin, and Concordia University of Wisconsin. Southeastern Wisconsin has over 1,200 manufacturing companies with national and international markets and partnerships covering the entire globe across most industry segments. By establishing the site, a robust framework is created for I-Corps team formation and development, thereby increasing the volume of commercialization activities and success rates in securing resources needed for business formation and development. The UWM site addresses three important needs of academic institutions and industry in Southeastern Wisconsin: (1) a need to increase the activity level related to commercialization of applied academic research and faculty/student innovation, (2) a need to build an innovation/commercialization network that would provide multifaceted support to faculty and/or student ventures, and (3) a need to broaden the pool of students and faculty fluent in LLP methodology. UWM leveraged Federal Economic Development Authority support by investing $8M in building the Innovation Accelerator at the new UWM Innovation Campus adjacent to the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW), the Blood Research Institute of Wisconsin, two major Wisconsin hospitals, and GE Healthcare. The accelerator is used to achieve the site's curricular objectives. It satisfies low-resolution and more advanced prototyping needs of the teams working in the healthcare domain and provides a focus point for collaboration between MCW and UWM. Teams working in the advanced manufacturing domain leverage Milwaukee School of Engineering and UWM facilities and resources. The Global Water Center provides support for freshwater teams, while the UWM main campus is the hub for energy research teams. The UWM Research Foundation manages the site and coordinate the network. The broader societal impact of the proposed site include an increased volume of innovative technologies and solutions brought to consumers to solve problems in healthcare, energy, freshwater and other areas. The Site partners with existing outreach programs within member institutions. The commercial impact of the UWM I-Corps Site will be measured by the number of teams and participants going through the LLP process, the number and value of submitted federal/state/local grant proposals, the success rate of submitted proposals, the capital raised, the number of startups launched, the number of technology licenses, and the number of new research collaborations between cohort teams and team members - all which benefit the region and the nation.