Moving Clean Energy Innovations to the Market and Creating Entrepreneurial Learning Opportunities Through Cross-Disciplinary Student Teams at Montana State University

Montana State University, 2008 - $24,500

This team will address two needs in the area of technology commercialization: interdisciplinary learning opportunities for undergraduates and hands-on experience in new product development/new company creation. Specifically, bringing clean energy innovations to a path of commercialization is the primary focus of the student-driven commercialization program. The program involves three partners: the MSU College of Business, College of Engineering, and TechRanch. 20 of the companies launched by TechRanch are based on MSU technology. The MSU College of Business, College of Engineering, and TechRanch have received financial support from such sources as NIH, NS, USDA, and SBA, among others. The commercialization program will draw from existing MSU entrepreneurship courses and will focus on training in the areas of bootstrapping, the commercialization process, and work plans. Through the involvement of TechRanch, commercial activity will be supported by management personnel, angel investors, and government-based resources.