For more information, contact Richard Doty, (937) 775-3232.

March 28, 2005

Invention to market seminar at Wright State to view entrepreneurship, economic development, university-industry partnerships

The Wright State University Technology Transfer Office is organizing the 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. event in the Student Union on the WSU campus. Included will be an Invention Showcase featuring selected exhibits of the university’s most promising inventions, from the health sciences and the environment to electronics and instrumentation.

The luncheon keynote speaker, Dr. Robert Gruetzmacher, is director of technology commercialization for the DuPont Company’s Center for Collaborative Research and Education and an internationally-renowned licensing executive. His topic is “The Value of University-Industry Partnerships: The DuPont Model.” Gruetzmacher will discuss how some of the programs he created at DuPont could be used by local companies to establish fruitful relationships with universities such as WSU, increasing their competitiveness and supporting their growth.

Patrick Valente, deputy director of the Ohio Department of Development, will provide an update on programs from Governor Bob Taft’s Third Frontier Initiative to boost economic growth in Ohio at 10:45 a.m. Christina Howard, vice president of entrepreneurial development for the Dayton Development Coalition, will speak at 2:30 p.m. on “The Dayton Entrepreneurial Landscape: Finding the Resources That You Need.” Her presentation will focus on resources available to create and grow successful companies in the Dayton area.

The program is free and open to the public and expected to interest business owners and executives, investors, service providers, researchers, students and others interested in placing technological innovation at the core of business growth and economic development.

The Invention Showcase from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. will provide an opportunity to visit the various display booths, interact with inventors and learn about technical skills available at Wright State. The Showcase will cover the multitude of scientific and/or technological projects underway, such as those conducted in collaboration with the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The fields represented include the physical sciences, imaging, information technology and human effectiveness.

The event also will exhibit some of the Wright State University services and educational programs that are specifically designed to promote Dayton area economic development.

Sponsors of the day include the Ohio Department of Development, Omeris, Dayton Development Coalition, i-Zone and the Air Force Technology Transfer Office. Because space is limited for the luncheon, pre-registration is strongly encouraged.

For more details or to register visit http://www.wright.edu/techtransfer/itm/ or contact Isabelle Gorrillot, Ph.D., at (937) 775-2651.