UW Partners with Innovation Center of the Rockies to Bring Faculty Inventions to Market

October 8, 2013

The Innovation Center of the Rockies (IRC), one of the nation’s premier entrepreneurial support organizations, has entered into an agreement with the University of Wyoming to help boost commercialization of intellectual property (IP) resulting from faculty research.

With more than 1,500 domain expert advisers around the country, a network now connected nationally with state-of-the-art virtual presence technology, the ICR has developed the capacity to expand to additional universities, federal labs and other research institutions outside Colorado.

“The University of Wyoming represents our first interstate engagement, highlighting the ICR’s enhanced capabilities to match our national expert network with the full range of university research projects, inventions and IP development,” says Tim Bour, ICR executive director. He recently received a national award of excellence on behalf of the ICR from the State Science and Technology Institute for the center’s work in commercializing university research in the Rocky Mountain region.

“We’re pleased to work with the ICR, and to access its advisers and mentors on a variety of initiatives that promote the conversion of University of Wyoming research into technologies and products with high commercial potential,” says Jon Benson, CEO of UW's Wyoming Technology Business Center (WTBC). “The ICR’s low-cost model has proven effective, and we look forward to working together to bring Wyoming inventions to market.”

UW joins ICR commercialization partners in the Rocky Mountain region, including the University of Colorado, Colorado School of Mines, Colorado State University and the University of Denver.

“The ICR has met with more than 150 university research teams over the last five years, and has worked with our partner organizations to create nearly 500 jobs since 2006 that have attracted nearly $100 million in investment capital,” Bour says.

About the Wyoming Technology Business Center

Located on the UW campus, the WTBC is a business incubator program focused on developing early-stage, technology-based companies. First opened in 2006, the 30,000 square-foot facility offers laboratory, office and shared conference room space for client companies as well as co-location space in its state-of-the-art data center. For more information, visit www.uwyo.edu/wtbc.

About the Innovation Center of the Rockies

Founded in 2005 and offering a highly specialized team of mentors and advisers, the Innovation Center of the Rockies defines a new model for business incubation across key industry sectors holding the most promise for the community, global economies and the environment. Located in one of the most dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystems for early-stage companies, the ICR blends the resources of business and academia to optimize opportunities for the technologies and companies of the future. For more information, visit www.innovationcenteroftherockies.com.

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