The Research Office will open a new innovation center this fall to propel WVU’s cutting-edge research into licensed products and services to help boost West Virginia’s economic opportunities.
Serving primarily faculty and graduate students, the Evansdale Innovation Center will complement efforts at the Health Sciences Innovation Center to increase accessibility and support for WVU’s researchers who want to market and commercialize their ideas, inventions, products, projects or discoveries. By the end of the fall semester, the EIC will provide state-of-the-art office and lab space for business incubation, educational programs and services for start-up companies.
Randy Quinn, who is adjunct faculty for both the Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources and the WVU College of Business and Economics, has been named associate director and will run day-to-day operations.
“This is an exciting opportunity to strengthen and consolidate support for our researchers in the many disciplines across our campuses,” Quinn said. “Our ultimate goal is to create successful new companies in West Virginia that foster economic growth while commercializing the intellectual property developed at WVU. We look forward to cultivating strategic partnerships, forging collaborative efforts with external economic development groups and pursuing new programs that will open doors to investment opportunities, innovative growth and entrepreneurship across the state.”
Quinn is already forging ties with one of WVU’s significant programs for promoting an entrepreneurial ecosystem in energy, the annual TransTech Energy Business Development Conference. The event, to be held Oct. 23-24, features pitches by regional entrepreneurs for support for their energy companies or technologies.
“The EIC will play a vital role in supporting energy and environmental innovation at WVU and in the innovation ecosystem that we are advancing across the state and region,” said director of the WVU Energy Institute Brian Anderson. “To help fulfill this mission of research, innovation and commercialization, our researchers create novel solutions to advance clean energy technologies and address environmental issues. The EIC will help see these solutions move along the commercialization pathway where those ideas can have a real-world impact. The EIC will be able to provide that expertise and leadership for our faculty and graduate students.”
The EIC is part of the WVU Innovation, Design and Entrepreneurship Applied Hub, which encompasses a university-wide network of centers, offices and programs that fosters and supports innovation and entrepreneurship in WVU students, faculty and staff while engaging the statewide community. To help achieve this mission, the EIC will work closely with the WVU Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources, the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design, the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, as well as the WVU Energy Institute and the WVU LaunchLab Network.
“WVU’s innovation ecosystem is a dynamic and growing network of people and resources across the WVU system. Our goal is to open more pathways to leapfrog ideas to business ventures, and inventions to market ready products that solve statewide and international challenges.” said director of the Health Sciences Innovation Center, Richard Giersch. “We want to ensure all our faculty, staff and students who want to commercialize their ideas have the support they need to succeed.”
More information on the grand opening of the Evansdale Innovation Center will be forthcoming.