August 5, 2019
August 5, 2019 | Three key U.S. universities with active neural engineering programs are banding together to help advance commercialization of neurotechnology. The new IEEE Brain Initiative is sowing the seeds of commercialization and entrepreneurship by launching a unique workshop designed to help graduate neuroscience and neural engineering trainees approach their research with an eye toward commercialization. The Neurotech Entrepreneurs Workshop, to be held December 13-15 in Tempe, AZ is organized by Arizona State University, the University of Houston, and the University of Pittsburgh, along with IEEE Brain and the National Science Foundation IUCRC Brain Center.
The program is designed to provide 30 trainees with an intensive look at what is involved in launching, driving, and succeeding in a commercial environment. Interactivity is paramount to the workshop and a hands-on approach will be used to introduce participants to ideation, market analysis, customer and stakeholder analysis, IP, regulatory affairs, reimbursement, valuation, and fundraising. Industry leaders, serial entrepreneurs, university faculty, tech transfer officers, and regulatory and funding experts will lead the hands-on curriculum.
Participants will develop elevator pitches, analyze business cases, discover key components of building a commercially focused team, and learn about a wide variety of funding mechanisms from non-dilutive grants through the venture capital arc.
“This is an exciting time in the field of neural engineering, which is experiencing tremendous growth in the academic research arena,” said Doug Weber, associate professor, department of bioengineering and director of the rehab neural engineering labs at the University of Pittsburgh. “We’re also seeing new neurotech companies starting up at an increasing rate. On campus, it is often the graduate students and post-docs doing the work that drives innovation—but they typically receive little training on how to become an entrepreneur. Although a two- and-a-half-day workshop won’t make anyone an entrepreneur, our goal is to help students get started, providing them with some initial inspiration, advice, and connections so they feel empowered to give it a shot.”
The organizing committee includes industry, funding, and academic veterans Weber, Marco Santello from ASU, and Pepe Contreras Vidal from the University of Houston. IEEE Brain representatives participating in the workshop include Sin-Kuen Hawkins, IEEE Brain program manager, and Grace Rigdon, IEEE Brain conferences chair. Student program chairs and volunteers are heavily involved in the event organization as well.
To underscore their dedication to supporting the translation of research to impact society, IEEE Brain and others are making the program free for students including conference attendance, meals, and lodging. Students are only required to fund their transportation.
Interested participants are required to apply for one of the 30 available spots by September 1, 2019; acceptance notices will be sent by October 1.
More information about the program is available at bit.ly/NeurotechLaunch.
