Accelerating Technology Commercialization

As we approach the end of the first year that this blog was initiated by the Technology Commercialization Centre (TCC) and Techcom Program at the University of Alberta Business School, it is a good time to reflect on the value of this communication medium and how it can be utilized more effectively. The promise of the Techcom Program at the School of Business is to address the Provincial talent gap of business savvy entrepreneurs that understand science and technology--in order to facilitate and accelerate technology commercialization. Our students are actively involved in facilitating technology development and company creation through the Ingenuity Enterprise program supported by TEC Edmonton and the TCC at the School of Business as well as other initiatives. The TCC has, for instance, also been active in assisting researchers at the National Institute for Nanotechnology evaluate options for commercialization as well as supporting the development of major new technology initiatives in biomedical engineering (through the BERRI effort). We are also actively pursuing a more aggressive Science to Business training strategy. Such initiatives provide opportunities for our MBA students and facilitate technology commercialization in the Province. This blog can provide a key mechanism for more interactive learning by MBA students, as well as a very instrumental network and information sharing forum for those interested in technology commercialization in Alberta. My hope for 2008 is that this blog will pick up momentum and will be actively used by UA MBA students (current and past) and facilitate dialogue between University scientists and business people and the community at large--government, industry and capital. One of the deficits in the Province is the lack of a forum for communication that links disparate efforts and forms of expertise. To wit, we are in the process of making this an open access forum and encourage everyone to responsibly contribute to making this a generative venue for technology commercialization talk and knowledge.

All the best for the holidays and for an innovative and entrepreneurial 2008!

Michael Lounsbury
Director Technology Commercialization Centre
University of Alberta School of Business & National Institute for Technology.