Initiative: Innovate Indiana
Location: Indiana

Engaging with Indiana

IU promotes economic development across the state

Indiana University’s role in the state’s economic development—known as engagement—is more important than ever as Indiana faces challenges posed by the nation’s financial crisis. And because IU maintains unique strengths in scholarship and research fields integral to the state’s economic future, the university is well positioned to lead promising economic development initiatives that create opportunities for all Hoosiers.

IU Office of Engagement

Heading up that effort is IU’s Office of Engagement established in 2007 by IU President Michael McRobbie and led by Vice President for Engagement Bill Stephan. He coordinates IU’s engagement activities across eight campuses and in all areas of the state. “IU has resources and expertise that in partnership with the public and private sectors can foster economic growth, ensure global competitiveness, and promote economic opportunity for all citizens of Indiana,” Stephan says. “We are expanding our activities to become an economic development partner with communities large and small throughout the state.”

It takes a team of experts to spearhead this economic development effort. Assisting Stephan in the IU Office of Engagement are Tony Armstrong, who is assistant vice president for engagement and president of the IU Research and Technology Corporation, the IU Emerging Technologies Center, and the new IU Innovation Center; David Gard, executive director of engagement; and Rebecca Carl, director of operations, planning, and communications. Ted Widlanski, professor of chemistry and CEO of the Indiana Metabolomics and Cytomics Initiative (METACyt), serves as associate vice president, providing the office with academic, clinical, and technical expertise. Supporting the team is executive assistant Kylie Ayres.

“In an information-based economy, the university has a crucial role in ensuring that new discoveries and knowledge are moved efficiently to the marketplace in the form of new companies, products and services, medical treatments, and improved quality of life for all citizens,” says Carl. At the same time IU is in a unique position to train the workforce needed by high tech and healthcare companies around Indiana.

Following are some of IU’s key efforts to ensure that the university’s intellectual resources are leveraged to stimulate economic growth and job creation in Indiana.

Innovate Indiana

Innovate Indiana is the Office of Engagement’s statewide initiative to convert IU’s vast resources in technology, life sciences, entrepreneurship, and the arts into assets that can transform the Indiana economy. Working with economic development partners throughout the state, IU is developing products, services, and treatments that lead to the creation of new companies and new jobs for Hoosier citizens.

IU Research and Technology Corporation

The IU Research and Technology Corporation (IURTC) is a not-for-profit organization headed by Tony Armstrong that fosters the commercialization of IU technologies arising from the innovation and creativity of our faculty and researchers. The IURTC contributes to growth in Indiana’s technology sector by helping to license new technologies and start and support new companies as they develop commercially viable products and services. The IU affiliate handles IU intellectual property, trademarks, and business development activities.

“In partnership with the private sector, IURTC helps companies move new technologies to the marketplace, supports creation of new companies, and provides support for entrepreneurial development,” says Armstrong, who also manages the IU Emerging Technologies Center and the IU Innovation Center described below.

IU Emerging Technologies Center

Located on the Canal Walk in downtown Indianapolis, the IU Emerging Technologies Center (IUETC) is a business incubator that provides office and wet-lab space, as well as business expertise and support for startup companies in their critical first years. The highly successful incubator focuses on life science and technology-based companies.

Indiana University Innovation Center

The new $10 million Indiana University Innovation Center (IUIC) opening soon on Bloomington’s east side will provide office and laboratory space for startup companies in information technology and the life sciences, as well as support with business development, intellectual property protection, and trademark expertise. The center will house the IU Pervasive Technology Institute, and provide offices for the Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation of the IU Kelley School of Business, the IU School of Informatics, and IURTC administrators and staff.

Indiana Innovation Alliance

The IU Office of Engagement supports the Indiana Innovation Alliance, which combines the resources of Indiana University and Purdue University to deepen research capacity at the respective institutions and provide private sector partners with access to research infrastructure and talent. Together they work to grow Indiana’s bioscience economy and increase the competitiveness of the state’s workforce.

“We’re combining our efforts to secure additional funding to bolster research and leverage intellectual property assets,” says Gard. “Competition from other states is really fierce, and we need to make sure that Indiana remains competitive. It’s a great advantage for the state to have the two leading research universities working together to promote life science research and economic development initiatives related to this research.”

Promoting Collaboration

In all its engagement efforts, IU is continually seeking new partnerships with the public and private sectors to stimulate economic growth and new job creation in Indiana. For further information about how you can partner with IU to benefit Indiana, contact the IU Office of Engagement today.

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