Type I: Invent Penn State I-Corps Site

This project, from Penn State University, creates an I-Corps Site at this institution.NSF Innovation Corps (I-Corps) Sites are NSF-funded entities established at universities whose purpose is to nurture and support multiple, local teams to transition their technology concepts into the marketplace. Sites provide infrastructure, advice, resources, networking opportunities, training and modest funding to enable groups to transition their work into the marketplace or into becoming I-Corps Team applicants. I-Corps Sites also strengthen innovation locally and regionally and contribute to the National Innovation Network of mentors, researchers, entrepreneurs and investors.The Penn State I-Corps Site, operated under the umbrella of the Invent Penn State Initiative and the Office of Entrepreneurship and Commercialization, supports the translation of university research, develops partnerships between the university and regional economic development organizations and the national I-Corps Network, and trains students to be the drivers of research commercialization.The Penn State I-Corps Site teams that pursue commercialization through two different programs, the TechCelerator@State College and the Happy Valley LaunchBox. These two programs are structured to nurture innovator teams using Lean Startup methodology and embody the notion of nurturing innovators both with deep craft and fresh eyes, that is, people with some who have depth of technical expertise as well as those with a fresh perspective on new markets, communication technologies, and consumer concepts. The TechCelerator Program, established in 2011 seeks to accelerate the commercialization of University technology. The Happy Valley Launchbox, created in 2015, is a community-university accelerator that makes extensive use of Lean Startup principles and Design Thinking to help teams bring their ideas into the marketplace. The I-Corps Site program provides funds to teams that are either selected out of one of these programs or have members combined from both programs to support the translation of university technology. The I-Corps Site also engages the broad network of Penn State Innovation hubs across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.The outcomes of this project have the potential for significant broader impacts across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the region. Initial activity focuses on Penn State's main University Park Campus. However, Invent Penn State operates 13 community innovation hubs throughout the State, affiliated with the University's network of Commonwealth campuses. In addition, the Penn State I-Corps Site, in collaboration with the Upstate New York regional I-Corps Node will run summer programs to train leaders from the commonwealth innovation hubs in Lean startup methodology and will engage their promising teams with the Upstate New York (UNY) regional I-Corps Node.