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PHILADELPHIA, PA: Founding Father Benjamin Franklin held firm beliefs in the power of network building and strategic alliances. And, like our namesake, Ben Franklin Technology Partners is committed to strengthening the region's innovation infrastructure by seeding new networks and stimulating the formation of partnerships that promote economic growth—like those in the highly acclaimed Nanotechnology Institute (NTI).
"One of the things universities need help with is commercializing the ideas that are generated in the laboratory," says Perry Molinoff, vice provost for research at the University of Pennsylvania. "That's why the NTI is so important. It facilitates this commercialization."
The NTI is an alliance of business, academia and government agencies focused on the research, development and commercialization of bio-nanotechnology advances in the greater Philadelphia region. It was founded in 2000 by BFTP, Drexel University and the University of Pennsylvania, with funding by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development.
When Competitors Collaborate, Great Things Can Happen
University-based research often focuses on highly specific aspects of a scientific problem. But when it comes to commercialization, being a world-class institution isn't enough.
“Universities are places where creative ideas can be nurtured, but then translating those ideas into useful technologies requires a catalyst.”
—ROY CHALEFF, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT REGIONAL TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVES, BFTP
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"Universities are places where creative ideas can be nurtured, but then translating those ideas into useful technologies requires a catalyst," says Roy S. Chaleff, Ph.D., senior vice president of Regional Technology Initiatives for BFTP. "We help identify promising research with commercial potential and bring an extensive commercialization network to bear. This gives universities the opportunity to interact with companies and corporations, so they can learn about the commercial potential of their discoveries and find partners to realize that potential."
Armed with a holistic perspective, BFTP is able to provide valuable networking expertise, as they did for Penn and Drexel—historically, two universities that compete for many of the same top faculty, research grants and students.
"Penn and Drexel both have prominent groups in nanotechnology, but often with different areas of specific focus," says Molinoff. "It has been a remarkable collaboration."
The NTI is the first comprehensive model of its kind in the United States. Its innovative model incorporates a wraparound approach represented by the alignment of six key components.
INDUSTRY-INFORMED TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT
Focusing on four core technology development areas: intelligent drug delivery systems, nano-biosensors, nanotube cellular probes and nano-scaffold cardiovascular tissue engineering
ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT AND COMMERCIALIZATION
Driving commercialization through a single point of contact system that provides financing and robust business and technology development services and resources
RISK CAPITAL
Providing access to seed capital to stimulate the creation of longer-term financial resources to fuel the growth of the region's nano activities
COMMUNITY OF INTEREST NETWORKS
Coalescing the region's emerging nano community by facilitating dialogues and interaction and reaching out to identify potential national and international partners
EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
Preparing the Mid-Atlantic region's nanotechnology workforce of the future through partnering among educational initiatives, nonprofits and companies
ECONOMIC RESEARCH AND PLANNING
Gathering information, assessing the region's position and opportunities and recommending action steps in order to guide the NTI's growth, policies and programs
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A Two-Way Street
Both institutions also benefit from being connected with regional businesses. "BFTP has good contacts," Molinoff says. "In some cases, they will bring companies to us who have ideas and need the technical assistance. In other cases, they will help identify corporate partners for us to work with to help bring a lab-born idea to life."
The NTI continues to evolve to meet changing needs, such as the formation of the Nanotechnology Commercialization Group (NCG)—another partnership among Penn, Drexel and the tech-transfer arm of the NTI. That involved hiring three people, supported by NTI funds, specifically devoted to commercialization, says Molinoff.
Last year, the NTI also launched the Nanotechnology Applications Fund (NAF) to stimulate joint research and development among small and medium-size Pennsylvania companies and NTI researchers. Two companies—NanoBlox and NanoSelect—recently received $50,000 each under this program.
NanoBlox develops proprietary products and processes based on a new phase of carbon that enables industrial innovations by its customers based on their patented new phase of matter, the "NanoBlock." NanoSelect is a nano-materials company that produces dispersions of nanomaterials in various types of liquid resins.
Both companies have shown great potential that their advances will be brought to market, stimulate the regional economy and contribute to the southeast region's growing reputation as a hotbed for nano-related activity. |
