UC Davis is asking for ideas and concepts for an "Innovation Hub" that would better connect UC Davis research with entrepreneurs, accelerate the transfer of campus discoveries into commercial products, and develop the local and regional economy.

The Innovation Hub could take many forms. It might involve creating virtual networks of existing resources, or building new space dedicated to fostering start-up companies — or all of those things, or something else entirely. At this stage, campus officials want to gather a wide range of ideas and strategies from the community.

"The overarching goal is to help move university research into productive commercial use," said Karl Mohr, assistant vice chancellor in the Office of Administrative and Resource Management.

"We also want to explore matching that objective with local communities’ economic development aspirations," he said.

UC Davis, with annual research funding approaching $700 million, has secured more than 400 U.S. patents and earned $110 million in licensing revenue over the past 10 years. Now the campus is seeking to expand technology transfer and become an even more important force for innovation and economic development.

The campus is looking for concepts that mesh with local goals and that will help UC Davis meet five objectives:

• Advance the economic prosperity of our region and enable transfer of knowledge and technology from UC Davis to the marketplace.
• Lead the development of the clean energy, life science and agriculture-based economy of northern California.
• Deepen connections to the regional, national and global business communities.
• Support a culture of entrepreneurship to transform UC Davis research into for-profit enterprises.
• Provide educational opportunities for faculty, staff and students to develop and demonstrate the commercial value of their inventions.

UC Davis is a recognized leader in food, health, nutrition, biotechnology, telemedicine and environmental sustainability; and in integrating human and animal health. These are all areas that are likely to present opportunities for partnerships with the private sector, but successful initiatives could come from any area of research on campus.

Anyone may submit a proposal, which should be not more than five pages. The proposal should include a timeline for implementation, plus contact information. Proposals should be sent to Mohr by March 31; his e-mail address is kfmohr@ucdavis.edu.

More information, including the complete request for concepts.