Sneak Peek at SSTI's Annual Conference: Capitalizing on the Academic Research Enterprise

Balancing the role of universities and colleges in economic development can be tricky, as Dr. Bok points out in his new book (see article above), but its important role in building stronger tech-based economies cannot be overstated. SSTI’s 7th annual conference, to be held in Seattle on October 21-22, presents the best opportunity of the year for developing a great understanding of the most effective ways for local and state economies to benefit from the academic research enterprise. Five interactive sessions have been scheduled to help participants capitalize on this enterprise:

• Universities as Partners in Local TBED. Across the country in widely varying regions, universities of all kinds are playing an active role in building tech-based economies. In this session, we'll explore the results of new research that looks at factors for engaging a university as an active participant and making a difference for the local economy. We'll also consider in-depth one of the best known examples: San Diego and the University of California-San Diego's CONNECT program.
• Financing University Technology Commercialization. Nearly every university wants to commercialize more of its technologies. Most tech-based economic developers wouldn't mind seeing them succeed. Whatever approach is taken, a good pool of capital – whether public, private, institutional or angel – is a critical ingredient for success. But cash isn't as plentiful as it was a couple of years ago, so we'll spend this session exploring ways universities have been successful financing commercialization of lab-generated technology during the down economy.
• Industry Perspectives on Working with Universities: What You Need to Know. Trying to foster relationships between universities and businesses? Industry representatives who have successfully worked with universities will share frank insights about these relationships, how they succeeded, and what professionals like you need to know to encourage productive industry-university partnerships.
• University Research Parks: A View from the Field. Establishing university research parks is one of the hottest trends in tech-based economic development. It seems a new park is being announced every week. But is a research park the right thing for every area? How can you tell if one may be right for your community or organization? What are the critical factors for success? These are some of the questions that we'll explore with a distinguished practitioner and observer of the field. And,
• Encouraging the Entrepreneurial Spirit Among Faculty. Transferring technology from the laboratory to the marketplace is a critical step in building a tech-based economy. When that lab is at a university, encouraging faculty members to take the steps required to commercialize the technology – whether it's starting with invention disclosure or ending with company spinoff – can be a significant challenge. In this session, we'll learn about the surprising results of new research on what encourages the entrepreneurial spirit among faculty and the successful experiences of one faculty member.

Whether it is increasing research activity within the institution or commercializing the results of university research, SSTI’s conference provides the best forum for academic researchers, administrators and local tech-based economic developers to engage in active dialogue for maximizing economic impact. More information on each of the above sessions and others, as well as registration materials, is available at: http://www.ssti.org/conference03.htm [expired]