The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is creating the UF/IFAS Office of Strategic Partnerships and Innovation in an effort to foster public-private partnerships and commercialization of its research.
The new office will open on May 15th and according to UF/IFAS, the office will “be the commercial outreach and entrepreneurial development arm of the institute. The main goals of this office will be to support faculty as they engage in entrepreneurship and commercialization and to get more UF/IFAS research solutions to the marketplace.”
Damian Adams, the new Executive Director of this office and current UF/IFAS Associate Dean for Research said, “We are building a culture of entrepreneurship with our faculty,” Adams said. “This office will serve as our front door for corporate engagement – streamlining the process for businesses, faculty and investors alike.”
According to UF/IFAS, “The Office of Strategic Partnerships and Innovation will offer faculty training and guidance with establishing intellectual property, starting new businesses and securing private grant funding. It will also focus on connecting faculty with venture capital funding, corporate partners and other funding mechanisms. For businesses, the office will identify ways they can work with UF/IFAS. Whether it means offering research resources to test and derisk commercial products before they go to stakeholders, establishing internships to create a pipeline of skilled workers or solving another business challenge, UF/IFAS aims to be an asset to the agri-business community.”
Audio Reporting by Dale Sandlin for Southeast AgNet