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GCG unites Korean and Austin-based companies to improve cancer screening The Korea-based industrial automation company, Jungwoo F&B, will team up with the Austin-based biotech company, Bioo Scientific, to develop kits for the Image Oriented Navigation Laser Microdissection Device (ION LMD). Jungwoo F&B developed the ION LMD device, which enhances the imaging and increases the precision of cell dissection. Bioo Scientific will contribute sequencing and discovery kits for more precise analysis of tumor samples. The combined efforts and technologies of Jungwoo F&B and Bioo Scientific will improve the ability of physicians to diagnose and treat cancer patients by providing a more accurate analysis of microRNAs and peptides in tumor samples. The connection was facilitated by the IC² Institute's Global Commercialization Group. GCG’s UT Gyeonggi Innovation Program in Bucheon, South Korea, selected Jungwoo F&B’s ION LMD technology in its yearly innovation program. Donna Kidwell, business development manager for Korean technologies at the Global Commercialization Group, said that GCG commercialization experts chose Jungwoo F&B because “it was a novel approach to LMD and could be an enabling technology for molecular pathology.” Kidwell further explained that GCG’s goal “is to help such technologies commercialize successfully, and create strong international partnerships along the way.” Read more: Drug Discovery News, November, 2011.
“Kozmetsky was Austin's tech godfather”
USAA and the IC² Institute join forces to supercharge employee-driven innovations SAN ANTONIO – In a first-of-its-kind alliance of academia and business in the state, the University of Texas at Austin and financial services association USAA have created a unique Innovator Certification Program to drive employee development of game-changing advances in consumer products and services that make USAA members’ lives easier. The collaboration demonstrates how a creative relationship between Texas-based businesses and universities can improve innovative thinking, productivity and competition. The IC² Institute conducted a customized pilot program with 25 USAA employees who used the Institute’s Marketlook™ methodology to quickly assess the viability of new technology-based financial solutions. By applying the entrepreneurial knowledge and skills learned to USAA’s marketing and business planning efforts, the teams of employees were able to demonstrate the commercial and customer value of several USAA products and services. “At USAA, we strive to anticipate the future needs of our members and continually develop innovative solutions to meet them,” said Mick Simonelli, assistant vice president of USAA innovation. “Working with The University of Texas at Austin and the knowledge gained through our new Innovator Certification Program helps us more quickly assess those innovations that will create the greatest benefit for our members.” "The IC² Institute at The University of Texas at Austin is excited to work with USAA, known as a leader in bringing forward new financial services technologies, to expand that knowledge and know-how of technology transfer and the creation of new product centers," said Dr. John Butler, director of the Institute. Cliff Zintgraff, the IC² Institute’s program manager, said, “Our work with USAA has improved our understanding and models of how the university’s research and knowledge base can be applied to help other Texas businesses and organizations. We are actively incorporating these ideas into similar programs that serve other organizations around the state.” USAA plans to offer the program to additional employees as well as its executive management within the next year.
Kuwaiti Global Bridge Initiative working at high speed Less than six months after its launch in January 2011, the Global Bridge Initiative (GBI) in Kuwait has already met many of its 12-month goals. The initiative is a joint project of the IC² Institute's Global Commercialization Group and the Kuwaiti National Technology Enterprises Company (NTEC). As reported in Arab Times Online, the milestones achieved so far include five partnership agreements between Kuwaiti firms and international companies; the introduction of 23 new technologies in life sciences, information systems and renewable energy for development in Kuwait; and the the completion of an entrenpreneurship training program by 24 Kuwaiti professionals as well as a Technology Transfer best practices training program held in Austin for eight Kuwaiti professionals. See the full Arab Times Online article for more information.
IC² Institute Director presents Joe W. Neal Award at Austin International Awards benefit On May 19 the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce and the International Hospitality Council of Austin hosted the 2011 Austin International Awards, an evening with the International Consular Corps. IC² Institute Director John Sibley Butler was on hand to present the IHCA's Joe W. Neal Award for outstanding leadership in international relations. The recipient of the 2011 award was Thomas Conry, Director of U.S.-Japan Relations with the Japan External Trade Organization. Said Dr. Butler, "Mr. Conry has been actively involved with many international organizations that have promoted everything from trade to cultural exchanges, promoting Fulbright Scholarships and supporting the IC² Institute of The University of Texas at Austin. He is recognized within the Austin business community as an authority on Japan’s economic and cultural trends. The IHCA recognizes Mr. Conry’s many highly valued contributions to Austin’s international community and is proud to present to him the prestigious Joe W. Neal Award."
Elsie Echeverri-Carroll speaks at launch of Science, Technology and Innovation Plan in Medellín, Colombia
The plan is the result of a collaborative process involving a wide range of stakeholders in the Medellín region, organized by the center for business and innovation Ruta N. A feature of the plan is to concentrate regional development efforts in three strategic clusters: ICT, health and energy. One of its specific goals is that by 2021, Medellín should invest 5% of its regional GDP in science, technology and innovation. Dr. Echeverri-Carroll, Director of the Economic Development Program at the IC² Institute, was invited to speak on successful international models of knowledge-based economic development, including the experience of Austin. Said Echeverri-Carroll, "Today's universities must not only be responsible for research and the development of human capital, but should also have an influence on the creation of jobs." For more information: "La innovacion local ya definió la hoja de ruta," El Colombiano, 13 May 2011.
John Sibley Butler honored at Heman Sweatt Symposium on Civil Rights IC² Institute Director John Sibley Butler was among the recipients of the Heman Marion Sweatt Legacy Award at the 25th Anniversary Heman Sweatt Symposium on Civil Rights held on May 6, 2011. The award honors individuals and groups who embody the legacy of Heman Marion Sweatt, the first African American to attend The University of Texas School of Law. For more information: DDCE@UT Newsletter, May, 2011.
Paul Zukowski speaks at Hannover Messe Paul Zukowski of the IC² Institute's Global Commercialization Group spoke on April 5th at the Transatlantic Perspectives on Emerging Technology Management Symposium in Hannover, Germany. The Symposium was part of the Research and Technology trade fair at Hannover Messe 2011. Zukowski was the only foreigner on a panel of experts discussing best practices and strategies for global commercialization of innovation coming from research institutions. His remarks shared lessons learned from the Institute's commercialization programs around the world including GCG's work in India, South Korea, Poland, Hungary, Chile, and Kuwait. He stressed the concept of startups "going global on day one" and how the right ecosystem is needed for this to happen efficiently.
Undersecretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property David Kappos at the IC² Institute The IC² Institute hosted a visit by Undersecretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the U.S Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) David Kappos, on Saturday, March 12, 2011. Confirmed by the U.S. Senate in August 2010, Kappos’s major goal is to enhance technological advancement and commercialization, provide protection for entrepreneurs and investors as they create jobs and opportunities, and manage deception in the marketplace of American innovation. Mr. Kappos conducted a roundtable discussion with local small business start-ups, entrepreneurs, investors, and Intellectual Property lawyers to hear about their experiences with USPTO and gather ideas about how to better serve their interests. Discussions covered structural changes that are taking place in the office to enhance the overall process of Intellectual Property protection for start-up companies and established companies, and global issues of Intellectual property protection. John Sibley Butler, Director of the IC² Institute, said, “Robert Peterson (Associate VP for Research) and I found it a pleasure to partner with the Austin Chamber of Commerce and Hulsey, P.C. and host this historic occasion. Secretary Kappos plans to use suggestions from these meetings to help implement future policies at the USPTO.” Press release [PDF]
GCG launches Global Bridge Initiative with Kuwait
The key to regional prosperity is the strategic combination of technology, entrepreneurship, and education. The Global Bridge Initiative will promote new venture creation and will use technology commercialization and entrepreneurship as the engine for economic growth. Kuwait’s anticipated recognition as a high technology innovation hub and a Gulf Region business gateway depends on an investment in human and business capital that will provide the necessary infrastructure and talent to entice investment. The GBI Launch Event will take place on January 26, 2011, in Kuwait City.
For more information about the Global Bridge Initiative, see:
Isaac Barchas featured on CBS News Isaac Barchas, Director of the IC² Institute's Austin Technology Incubator, was featured in a January 7 CBS report on job creation in Austin.
In the report ("Austin, Texas Leads the Nation in Job Growth"), Barchas explains ATI's role in assisting tech startups: "It's really like taking shots on goal. You want to have as many shots as you can, because you never know which one's going to put the ball in the back of the net. When you score the benefit can be another Dell or another Google or another Intel."
IC² Institute Conference Produces New Book on Energy and Innovation
Energy and Innovation is the latest title in the Purdue University Press International Series on Technology Policy and Innovation. Co-edited by IC² Institute Associate Director David Gibson, it is an outgrowth of the Institute-sponsored ICTPI 2007 conference in Stavanger, Norway.
Nichols Wins Award for Entrepreneurship Education
Dr. Nichols serves as a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. He also serves as the Director of the Chair of Free Enterprise and the Director of the Advanced Manufacturing Center in the Cockrell School of Engineering.
ATI and College of Pharmacy Open Wet Lab for Austin Startups The University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy, the Austin Technology Incubator (ATI) and the city of Austin have announced the creation of the UTech Dorm Room, a cooperative research laboratory designed to provide laboratory space for entrepreneurs to develop life-sciences technologies and evaluate their commercialization potential. The UTech Dorm Room lab facility will be in the College of Pharmacy. While most labs at the university are devoted to the research of a particular faculty member, the UTech Dorm Room will enable bioscience entrepreneurs outside the university community to contractually reserve wet lab space for a period of time as they test and develop their technologies and potential products. The UTech Dorm Room is ATI's demonstration project to provide a commercial laboratory environment to accelerate start-up commercialization, says Dr. Cindy WalkerPeach, ATI-Biosciences director. "What we learn from the project will be coalesced with information from other 'best practices' lab incubators as part of ATI's Economic Development Administration grant to study a stand-alone facility to serve the Central Texas biosciences community." For more information:
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IC² Endowed Fellow Paul Barbara Will Be Missed
Barbara held the Richard J. V. Johnson Welch Regents' Chair in Chemistry. He received many awards and accolades throughout his career, beginning with a Presidential Young Investigator Award in 1984. In 2009, he was awarded the E. Bright Wilson Award in Spectroscopy by the American Chemical Society, recognizing his innovative experimental probes of the dynamics of chemical processes. In 2006, Barbara was elected to the National Academy of Sciences, the most prestigious association of scientists in the nation. For 15 years he was senior editor for one of the premier chemistry journals, Accounts of Chemical Research. Barbara's recent research probed the molecular arrangement of individual polymer molecules in order to understand how this structure affects the molecular behavior in complex environments, such as plastic solar cells. Earlier work in his labs involved ultrafast measurements to study how electrons exchange between molecules and move through liquids. During his career, he published more than 200 influential and widely cited journal articles. He was also a mentor to more than 100 graduate students and postdoctoral research fellows. Thirty-four are now professors at universities in the United States, Asia and Europe. Barbara was a campus leader in stimulating collaborative research efforts. In 2000, he founded the university's Center for Nano and Molecular Science and Technology, which grew from a grassroots faculty effort to become a cornerstone of nanoscience research for the university's science and engineering community. Barbara steered the campaign for a central nanoscience facility on campus, leading in 2006 to the $37 million Nano Science and Technology building (now the Larry R. Faulkner Nano Science and Technology Building). This building houses more than $17 million in scientific equipment that is used in the research by more than 300 students and faculty each year. In 2009 the U.S. Department of Energy awarded $13 million to a team of university faculty led by Barbara to study the fundamental chemical processes that limit the efficiency of plastic solar cell materials. This award represents the largest single program at The University of Texas at Austin to be funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. "This is a terrible loss for the College of Natural Sciences, the university and for me personally," said Mary Ann Rankin, dean of the College of Natural Sciences. "Paul was a brilliant scientist and visionary leader and was tireless in pursuit of resources and talent for our nanoscience program. He leaves a large group of students, staff, postdoctoral associates and faculty colleagues behind who were expecting to work with him for years to come. I count myself among those who relied on Paul for advice and leadership. We have lost our guiding star and a great friend." Barbara grew up in New York City and received his bachelor of science degree in chemistry at Hofstra University in 1974. He completed his doctor's degree at Brown University in 1978, and pursued postdoctoral studies at Bell Laboratories until 1980. Prior to joining The University of Texas at Austin Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry in 1998, Barbara was a faculty member for 18 years at the University of Minnesota, where he was named 3M-Alumni Distinguished Professor of Chemistry. Barbara is survived by his wife Sharon, son Jason, daughter Juliet, three grandchildren, his brother and sister. Original article, 3 Nov 2010
President of the Dominican Republic Visits the IC² Institute October 30, 2010 — Dr. Leonel Fernández Reyna, President of the Dominican Republic, visits Dr. John Sibley Butler, Director of the IC² Institute. President Reyna’s visit represents a continued interest in what global countries want to do in terms of wealth creation and technology transfer. The IC² Institute has been a leader in interdisciplinary cooperation for the purpose of transforming communities and countries to market economies. Since its inception, the IC² Institute has worked with the science cities of China, on entrepreneurship projects in Japan, Poland, Egypt, Malta, Canada, Mexico and the U.S. IC² Institute Director John Sibley Butler said, “It is an honor to entertain the President of a country at the IC² Institute.” Moving forward, the IC² Institute and The University of Texas at Austin look forward to working with the Dominican Republic and sharing research and best practices that have been developed by the IC² Institute over the years. The University of Texas at Austin and the global IC² Institute family are delighted that President Leonel Fernández Reyna recognizes the significant impact the IC² Institute is having worldwide.
Cliff Zintgraff speaks at CEBBIS conference in Prague Cliff Zintgraff of the IC² Institute’s UTEN Portugal program spoke on September 13, 2010 at the Prague Summer Conference on IP & Innovation on the topic Culture Shift: The Mindset, Strategies and Tactics of Active Commercialization. The conference was sponsored by CEBBIS, Central Europe Branch-Based Innovation Support. Using as historical context the invention of the cotton gin, Zintgraff noted how a “protectionist” attitude failed to win the day for Eli Whitney, who eventually became rich, but not from the cotton gin. He advocated a strategy of Active Commercialization, and discussed the mindset, strategies and tactics that inventors and entrepreneurs should adopt to reap the rewards of their inventions. He shared related lessons from the UTEN Portugal program, highlighted UTEN Portugal successes, and later in the conference conducted technology portfolio assessment classes that advocated “active fail fast” strategies to identify promising early stage technologies.
IC² Global Fellow Jonathan Sessler awarded $2.5M grant for cancer research
Jonathan Sessler, professor of chemistry and IC² Global Fellow, and John DiGiovanni, professor of pharmacy and nutritional sciences, were awarded the grant to establish The University of Texas at Austin Cancer Research Training Program. The program, which will be administered by the Texas Institute for Drug and Diagnostic Development (TI-3D), will focus on training undergraduates, graduate students and postdoctoral preclinical cancer researchers. The program's more team-oriented approach to cancer education and research will lead to progress that might not be possible through the traditional single researcher model.
IC² Institute hosts "From Lab to Market," a Fulbright Scholar Enrichment Seminar, June 1-4, 2010
The IC² Institute welcomed 32 Fulbright foreign students for a four-day seminar on translating scientific discovery into economic and social progress.
MSTC program transitions to the McCombs School of Business
I am happy to announce that this program, after great success at the IC² Institute, will be transferred to the McCombs School of Business. It will maintain its interdisciplinary faculty. We hope that this form of education will continue to scale as Texas and America continue to meet the economic challenges of the 21st century. - John Sibley Butler, Director, IC² Institute
IC² Institute cited in creation of Tamaulipas Science and Technology Park
Austin American-Statesman, Monday, November 16, 2009 "Tamaulipas has long been an important manufacturing hub, as the concentration of maquiladoras along the Texas border attests. This week, with the inauguration of the Science and Technology Park of Tamaulipas (TecnoTam), we are launching a strategic, long-term effort to harness the potential of science and technology in our state to promote innovation, economic growth and competitiveness... The IC² Institute at the University of Texas is one of the institutions to which we have looked for guidance and inspiration. It was my privilege to meet with George Kozmetsky, who founded the IC² Institute, during my tenure as mayor of Ciudad Victoria. The ideas and insight I took away from that meeting almost a decade ago have helped fuel the creation of TecnoTam." - Eugenio Hernández, Governor of Tamaulipas, Mexico
John Sibley Butler to receive Tech Innovation Special Achievement Award The Austin Business Journal has announced that it will present a Tech Innovation Special Achievement Award to IC² Institute Director John Sibley Butler at the 2009 Tech Innovation Awards on October 14. The Tech Innovation Awards are given annually to the best technology ideas in Central Texas. The competition is sponsored by the Acton MBA, the Austin Technology Council and the Central Texas Angel Network. 
Austin Technology incubator links pharmacy grad students with bioscience startups Two young startup companies developing therapies to treat medical ills may soon offer renewed promise to patients, thanks, in part, to a cooperative program with the college. This program – a collaborative effort between the college’s Drug Dynamics Institute (DDI) and Austin Technology Incubator (ATI) – has provided these early-stage ventures with pharmacy graduate student interns. In turn, these students have the unique opportunity to work closely with bioscience entrepreneurs. Read the whole article from Longhorn Pharmacy Focus, Fall 2009 [PDF]
John Sibley Butler in Forbes
"Building Your Own Business: A successful start-up needs more than a great idea." One of his former students is selling genetically altered goldfish that glow in the dark. Another is developing a diaper with built-in baby wipes. For John Butler, a professor of entrepreneurship and management at the University of Texas at Austin's McCombs School of Business, such occurrences are part and parcel with living in a town bursting with start-ups. John Sibley Butler is the Director of the IC² Institute and the Herb Kelleher Center for Entrepreneurship. He is a Distinguished Visiting Professor at Babson College in Boston. He has also taught in China, Japan and Mexico.
Elsie Echeverri-Carroll named one of 50 "cerebros fugados" PODER, a Colombian business magazine, in its July 2008 issue named Elsie Echeverri-Carroll of the IC² Institute one of 50 "cerebros fugados," or leading Colombian academics who have chosen to live and work in the United States. Dr. Echeverri-Carroll is the Director of Economic Development at the IC² Institute's Bureau of Business Research. She has published extensively on the topics of maquiladoras, trade in the Americas, high technology in industrialized and developing countries, women in business, and income inequalities in high-tech regions.
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On May 12, Elsie Echeverri-Carroll of the IC² Institute spoke at the launch of the Plan CTi in Medellín, Colombia.
The move towards sustainable energy production and use is one the most challenging and profound changes currently taking place in the world’s established and emerging economies. 
Congratulations to IC² Endowed Fellow Steven P. Nichols for winning the 2011 Educator of the Year Award from the 
Chemistry Professor Paul F. Barbara, 57, one of The University of Texas at Austin's most prominent scientists, died on Oct. 31 due to complications following cardiac arrest.
July 1, 2010 — Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have received $2.5 million from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) to train a new generation of cancer researchers.
In 1996 the IC² Institute began an educational experiment in wealth creation through technology transfer. It developed into the 