Indiana University recently hosted the Midwest Material Innovation Consortium (MMIC) for a two-day meeting aimed at discussing industry news, trends and opportunities within the material science industry. The event, which took place last month, was organized by IU’s Office of Business Partnerships, together with the IU Innovation and Commercialization Office (ICO) and IU Ventures, IU’s early-stage venture and angel investment arm.
The MMIC includes corporations, venture capital funds, startups, universities and research groups that all share the goal of identifying and commercializing material science innovations. In addition to IU, consortium members include Cooper Standard, GM Ventures, Caterpillar, Koch Industries, Avery-Dennison, DuPont, Energy Foundry, HG Ventures, Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, University of Michigan and Purdue University.
“This type of event is an excellent opportunity for our faculty to connect with potential industrial partners and to create partnerships with the ultimate goal of translating academic research for local, state, federal and global community impact,” said Todd Skochdopole, technology commercialization manager at IU ICO.
The summer meeting began with a tour of the Fibers and Additive Manufacturing Enabled Systems (FAMES) Lab, which is housed in the Department of Intelligent Systems Engineering at IU’s Luddy School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering. FAMES Lab Director Alexander Gumennik, who is also an assistant professor of intelligent systems engineering at the Luddy School, explained how the lab’s technology has led to advancements in areas such as tissue engineering, green energy, additive manufacturing and more.
The IU ICO hosted three faculty members from the Department of Chemistry at IU Bloomington’s College of Arts and Sciences to present their latest research efforts.
Sara Skrabalak discussed her research to develop methods for controlling architecture and shape of new nanomaterials. Amar Flood described his research to synthesize molecules and materials for manipulation of anions. Lastly, Steven Tait presented his research regarding catalyst design and testing.
Over a luncheon, hosted by Jon Schalliol, finance and operations lead of Indianapolis-based HG Ventures, several startups presented their business overviews with the goal of forming potential partnerships. The startups discussed their product pipelines, which included the world’s brightest fluorescent materials, adhesive resin for wood products manufacturing, and an adobe construction company that specializes in AI and robotics.
The next sessions included a discussion of the rise of AI and its growing uses in today’s society, how IU’s Shoemaker Innovation Center helps student entrepreneurs, as well as a discussion about the environmental and sustainability landscape industry members operate within along with the work of the Institute for Environmental and Social Sustainability at IU’s Kelley School of Business. The group finished the day with a tour of IU’s Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
To conclude the two-day meeting, the group visited the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division and discussed its technology transfer and IP program and had a tour of the Battery Innovation Center.
“The Office of Business Partnerships was thrilled to work with schools and faculty across the Bloomington campus to host the Midwest Material Innovation Consortium member companies,” said Elizabeth Lerch, director of the Office of Business Partnerships. “Through events like these, we are building connections that grow research opportunities for faculty and their students, while supporting innovation across industry.”
Bri Heron, technology marketing manager at Indiana University’s Innovation and Commercialization Office, contributed this story.
Leave a Reply