The Entrepreneurial Ecosystem at the University of Texas at Austin

The Entrepreneurial Ecosystem at the University of Texas at Austin

Dr. Juan SanchezVice President for Research

Outline

• Brief update on UT Austin– Who are we?– What have we been doing in the entrepreneurship

arena?– How is it working?

• Address the issue posed by the University of Łodz: “ways to finance research at The University of Texas at Austin”

The University of Texas at Austin• More than 4,800 individual sponsored projects

conducted in 150 research units (in 2012) • Annual research funding of ~$620 million • Nearly 800 patents awarded to UT Austin • And resources:

• UT Austin has the fifth-largest academic library in the US and is one of the nation’s top 10 research libraries

• With a 350-acre main campus and satellite research centers, such as the J.J. Pickle Research Campus, UT Austin has state of the art laboratories and facilities

UT Austin

• Mission– Educate leaders– Create knowledge

• Use inspired research– Disseminate knowledge

• Establish long term strategic research alliances– Discovery of new fundamental and applied

sciences and engineering

CREATE KNOWLEDGE

EDUCATELEADERS

DISTRIBUTEKNOWLEDGE

EntrepreneurshipTechnologyCommercialization

Use-Inspired Research

The Entrepreneurial Ecosystem

University-wide Entrepreneurial Activities

• Technology Entrepreneurship Society (TES) focuses on identifying, cultivating, and supporting the current and future entrepreneurs in the UT technological community

• Longhorn Startup Seminar introduces students to the world of startups though the experiences of people who have built successes and learned from failures.

• The Austin Technology Incubator (ATI) harnesses business, government and academic resources to provide strategic counsel, operational guidance, and infrastructure support to its member companies to help them transition into successful, high growth technology businesses.

• Texas Venture Labs (TVL) is a campus-wide initiative to accelerate the rate of start-ups on its campus, offering entrepreneurs an accelerated route in bringing their innovations to market.


• The Herb Kelleher Center for Entrepreneurship Growth and Renewal creates forums for successful entrepreneurs, students and faculty. We introduce students to the dynamic world of new venture creation and sustainability.

• The Idea to Product (I2P®) Program refers to applying creative thought to a technology (“Idea”) and developing a market application (“Product”) for that technology. The program provides a range of pathways for innovation including exposing university technologies to outside investors, aiding university technology spin-offs, and engaging students in the innovation and commercialization process.

• The University Entrepreneur's Association brings students interested in entrepreneurship together to share experiences and ideas. We also host corporate speakers to share their knowledge on entrepreneurship


• The Entrepreneurial Research Initiative (ERI) is founded on two important principles: Students put forth their own ideas and Students work with Translational Mentors from outside the University to develop these ideas.

• Student Entrepreneur Acceleration and Launch (SEAL) program- a program that gives entrepreneur groups connected to the UT community a chance to figure out what milestones need to be reached for their business plans to succeed

• Scientific Entrepreneurial Society stimulates and supports students culture of innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship.


• Bridging Disciplines Programs: – Innovation, Creativity & Entrepreneurship - Through an interdisciplinary

program that combines courses from Business, Communication, Fine Arts, and Liberal Arts, students learn how ideas, inventions, talents, and skills are developed and transformed into commercial and social ventures.

– Social Entrepreneurship & Non-Profits brings together students who are interested in pursuing a career in the public service sector and expanding their involvement in the community.

• Portfolio in Arts and Cultural Management and Entrepreneurship is a certification program that provides students with cross-disciplinary theoretical and practical training related to the management and governance of arts and cultural organizations, and/or the business dimensions of an entrepreneurial artistic career

Entrepreneurial Course Inventory

• Innovation/Creativity/Entrepreneurship • 1 Semester Startup (Interdisciplinary Entrepreneurship) • Entrepreneurial Management • Marketing for Entrepreneurs • The Liberal Arts Entrepreneur • Venture Capital Fellows Program • Entrepreneurial Journalism • Entrepreneurship & Incubation • Opportunity Identify and Analysis • Social Entrepreneurship • Texas Venture Labs Practicum • New Venture Creation I• New Venture Creation II• Entrepreneurial Growth• Corporate Governance• Entrepreneurs of Technology: Mind-Mkt• Marketing High-Tech Product• Entrepreneurial Growth

Transcending TheoryTechnology Commercialization

Technology Commercialization





Now the question…

How does The University of Texas at Austin finances research?

Trends in R&D Expenditures(Source: NSF Academic R&D Expenditures)

R&D expenditures of Top Universities without a Medical School, ranked by Federal and Business Funding: FY 2010

UT Austin – Industry EngagementU

nive

rsity

– In

dust

ry

Impa

ct

Traditional Tactical Strategic

Career PlacementCo-op/InternshipSeminars/SpeakersAdvisory Committees

Single PI ProjectsProposal SupportAffiliates ProgramsEquipment/Software

Research RoadmapCenter FundingMaster AgreementJoint LicensingStaff Exchange

Leverage UT Austin Contribution

• Top engineering and science faculty, graduate students

• Researchers from strategic partner in close proximity to faculty/students and facilities– Research labs– Analytical instrumentation– Superior computational facilities and staff (TACC)

• Engage corporate technical staff as full partners in research

• Multiple modes of engagement beyond research

Leverage ResourcesExample: HPC Resources at TACC

StampedeLinux cluster with 96,000+ cores, 205 TB of total memory and 2-7 PF peak performance went into production on January 7, 2013

Negotiated with NSF to use up to 10% of cycles in support of strategic research partners

Know your customers

Documents

The Entrepreneurial Ecosystem at the University of Texas at Austin