Universities provide research tools, intellectual capital, and tight support to assure a higher rate of business success with their discoveries. The UO’s
Riverfront Research Park
is a short walking distance to key campus buildings. This park currently houses 10 emerging UO start-ups.
Success stories at Riverfront Research Park
MitoSciences, founded by two UO scientists, focuses on mitochondria —the energy centers of human cells. The company recently earned a $590,000 NIH grant for testing drugs used in treating infectious diseases. Moreover, the company’s purchase of exclusive rights to university innovations totals $4.6 million, and will be fully paid to the UO over the next 8 years.
Electrical Geodesics Inc., another UO spin-off in the Park, recently added a medical device division. The company achieved record net sales in 2009 of $8.2 million, with much growth from sales to Europe and Asia.
Perpetuating success with Oregon’s technology network
Williams also points to
Perpetua Power
of Corvallis as an example of a business that strategically tapped three schools, starting with UO, and then OSU and PSU, as well as major grants and support programs for its mercurial growth.
Williams notes that “ideally, there will be a continued growth of the university’s network. This can be done by building out: more mentors, more bootstrapping, plus more industry-institution collaborations, for example, through our high-tech extension services.” This technology transfer helps bioscience discoveries in schools today to become the next generation of successful companies tomorrow.
Seamus Kennedy is a business
communicator, who deals with effective packaging of verbal, nonverbal, written
and visual communication. What we say and how we say it can add strength to even
our clearest message, and Seamus helps individuals and organizations to bolster
their ability to get their message across. His public speaking and presentation
classes, for example, have garnered the attention of local press. skennedy@imagina.com