Over the past year, Indiana University has seen tremendous growth in its economic development and technology commercialization activities. President Michael A. McRobbie sits down with Gerry Dick of Inside Indiana Business to discuss in a one-on-one conversation the new IU Technology Parks Corridor, the Milken Index Report, the recent sale of Marcadia, and the 3 deals that the Innovate Indiana Fund recently closed on. See the full interview below.
Connect with IU: Center for Genomics and Bioinformatics
From the Center for Genomics and Bioinformatics website:
The CGB was created in 2000 by the Office of the V/P for Research and the College of Arts and Sciences IU, Bloomington. It has since received regular support from the School of Informatics and the Department of Biology. The CGB has also received crucial financial support from two Lilly Endowment, Inc. awards to Indiana University: The Indiana Genomics Initiative and the Indiana METACyt Initiative.
Current CGB staff includes 30 full-time scientists and programmers and an administrative staff of 3. In addition, the CGB supports collaborative projects that currently involve 13 other scientists from the departments of Biology and Mathematics, and the School of Informatics. The CGB’s active seminar programs include frequent Visiting Speakers, weekly informal seminars (the “CGB Roundtables”), and regular workshops on special topics.
The CGB occupies temporary spaces in Jordan Hall and Myers Hall: Administrative offices in Jordan Hall 063 and 059, the Bioinformatics and Computing groups in Jordan Hall Room 044, the Core Computing Facility occupies JH025, and the Genomics laboratory is on the first floor of Myers Hall (MY160/162). Projects occupy a number of other spaces, including the Insect Cell Culture lab (JHA316) and the DGRC Vector Lab (JH340).
IU's Kelley School moves up among elite undergraduate programs ranked by 'Bloomberg Business Week'
During a year when Bloomberg Business Week‘s annual ranking of undergraduate business schools underwent a shake-up due to economic conditions, Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business consistently has remained in the publication’s Top 20 and moved up one position to 18th. Kelley remains second among all Big Ten schools and moved up to sixth among such programs at public universities; the undergraduate program has always been ranked in the Top 20 throughout the six-year history of the survey.
Expert offer tips on how to market a small firm
What does a cotton bracelet, a food tour in Washington D.C., and new kind of flooring have in common? They are products or services offered by three start-up companies whose owners started their companies with less than $150. They are also the subject of an article in the Wall Street Journal entitled Start-Ups on a Shoestring. The article provides an insightful look into entrepreneurial spirit that drives small business. I found this article fascinating because it doesn’t credit the success of these entrepreneurs to anything but hard work and intuitiveness. Not only was their common thread hard work and little money, but these business savvy people were also tech savvy. My suggestion: click the link above or below and read the full article. You may find some helpful hints or simply be encouraged by start-up successes.
Expert offer tips on how to market a small firm | IP Marketing Advisor.
Venture Capitalists In China Go Back To The Land
From the WSJ. China’s venture, growth and private equity investors are continuing to trade in their servers and silicon chips for plowshares.
Tsing Capital’s $10 million investment in a Shanghai-based organic crop grower is the latest in a series of deals over the past two years to get venture capitalists’ boots dirty.
Venture Capitalists In China Go Back To The Land – Venture Capital Dispatch – WSJ.
New Innovative IU Technologies Presented in Evansville
On Friday, February 25, IU presented four innovative new technologies in Evansville at the 2011 Southwest Indiana Technology Showcase. The free event is held annually by Indiana University and Purdue University to present technologies developed through university research that have strong commercialization potential. Over 100 people attended and participated in the showcase, including entrepreneurs, investors, students, and local leaders from business and government.
The four IU technologies presented at the event have been patented and are available for licensing by startups and established companies:
Implantable Pressure Sensor for Optimizing Ventilator Support and Weaning
Dr. George Akingba, a vascular surgeon and biomedical engineer at the Indiana University School of Medicine, and Dr. Jason Clark, an engineering professor at Purdue University, have designed a novel, implantable pressure microsensor to directly measure pleural pressure of the lungs, enabling an evidence-based approach to weaning patients from mechanical ventilation which is not possible using current technology.
Integration of ICU Data in Interactive Visual Format for Enhanced Critical Care Evaluation and Treatment
Dr. Anthony Faiola, director of human-computer interaction at the Indiana University School of Informatics and Computing, has developed Medical Information Visualization Assistant (MIVA). MIVA consolidates large amounts of essential patient data into a visual and interactive format, allowing physicians and nurses to streamline workflow, while expiating critical care treatment. Devices monitoring patients’ vitals, such as blood pressure, heart rate, and other measures are integrated with MIVA and displayed on a large touch-screen within the ICU.
Electro-Wetting Lens for Concentrating Solar Energy
Dr. Afshin Izadian, an assistant professor of electrical engineering technology at IUPUI, has developed a passive, stationary solar concentrator for use on electric generating Photo Voltaic (PV) modules. When installed on a PV module, the device will increase the electricity generated in low level, diffuse light situations by as much as 75%. In turn, this will dramatically increase the number of worldwide locations where PV technology can be practically and cost effectively applied.
Solution-Based Layer-by-Layer Nanoassembly of Thin Film Solar Cells
Dr. Mangilal Agarwal, associate director of research development, and his colleagues at IUPUI have developed a novel technology that improves the manufacturability of thin film solar cells, such as CIGS, by using a self-limiting layer-by-layer deposition process. This process will enable solar cell plating over large irregular surfaces in a cost-effective manner.
Read more above the event here.
The IU technologies presented at the event have been patented and are available for licensing by startups and established companies. Additional information on IU technologies can be accessed through contacting the IU Research and Technology Corporation.
Connect with IU: The Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship Innovation: Kelley School of Business: Indiana University
From the JCEI website: The Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation is dedicated to establishing entrepreneurial experiences for students by expanding linkages between Indiana University and the enterprising business community as well as through establishing cross-campus initiatives with other university departments.
Find out more here:
The Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation: Kelley School of Business: Indiana University.
Indiana Life Sciences Collaboration Series: Feb. 25 Conference to Focus on Regulatory Compliance
On Friday, February 25, the Center for the Business of Life Sciences of the IU Kelley School of Business will present its latest installment in the Indiana Life Sciences Collaboration Conference Series: An Update on Regulatory Compliance. The conference will be held at the offices of Barnes & Thornburg, 11 South Meridian Street in Indianapolis. Breakfast begins at 8:00 a.m. and the conference concludes at 3:15 p.m. Online registration can be accessed here.
Conference Overview:
The new administration, leadership and legislation all contribute to the recent changes in how the FDA performs its role. At the same time, manufacturers of pharmaceutical products, nutritionals, medical devices and diagnostic equipment, and other medical technologies are constantly looking for new ways to distribute market and sell their products. Many would say that the effects of this combination are putting businesses under more regulatory scrutiny, subjecting companies to more liability and delaying the availability of new products and therapies to healthcare providers and ultimately, the public. This program will bring experts from industry and the regulatory environment together to discuss whether this is indeed the case and review strategies for the future.
Collective Pride, Worthy Choices
John L. Krauss, director of the Indiana University Public Policy Institute and its Center for Urban Policy and the Environment, recently authored Collective Pride, Worthy Choices, a compelling column on the importance of viewing Central Indiana and Indianapolis as a larger, dynamically interconnected region. The column was originally published in the February 6, 2011 Sunday edition of The Indianapolis Star and was later posted on the Urbanophile blog.
New IBRC Index measures Innovation in American Regions
Through a competitive grant awarded by the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA), the Indiana Business Research Center (IBRC) of the Kelley School of Business has developed an Index of Innovation that is usable at the county level and for multi-county regions. While previous research in this area examined innovation at state level or within larger metropolitan statistical areas, the IBRC recognized that local and regional economic development practitioners need more granular data applicable to any region, of any size, in the country.
The Innovation Index for America’s Regions, whose development was led by Tim Slaper of the IBRC, provides an overall innovation index for any county or multi-county region, along with sub-indexes addressing the key dimensions of human capital, economic dynamism, productivity and employment, and economic well-being. In turn, each of these sub-indexes is comprised of several indicators. The Innovation Index was created through joint research with the Purdue Center for Regional Development.
Data for all levels are available on the IBRC’s Innovation in American Regions web site. The web site includes a variety of useful data tools, including a just-released interactive innovation map that enables the index values for any county to be highlighted. This seminal work has received national awards for excellence and has been highlighted by the EDA in its newsletters and by other national economic development groups. A value-added resource, the Innovation Index represents another way IU is advancing economic development in Indiana and beyond.
The full press release detailing the Innovation Index and its reported results for 2011 can be accessed here.