Lisa Cechetto, Executive Director of WORLDiscoveries delivered a virtual presentation to new faculty introducing them to our office.
WORLDiscoveries three key messages are covered:
WORLDiscoveries welcomes seven PhD graduates, medical students and scientists from across the country to be part of the sixth cohort of its Medical Innovation Fellowship (MIF) program.
More than just a patent office, WORLDiscoveries has several educational offerings; the MIF being our hallmark program, WD also administers the Proteus Innovation Competition, Graduate Student Innovation Scholars program and professional development workshops regarding patents and intellectual property.
Four technologies originating out of research conducted here at Western have been featured in AUTM’s monthly newsletter that goes to tech transfer professionals around the world.
The four technologies featured were submitted to AUTM’s Better World Project, an initiative started more than a decade ago to help explain how tech transfer and the commercialization of research makes an impact.
These stories put a spotlight on the value of the technologies themselves but also how faculty and scientists are able to find new sources of research funding through commercialization partnerships with industry – all while advancing technologies that make significant contributions to improving the lives of people globally.
WORLDiscoveries® at Western University in partnership with the Centre for Advanced Computing and Queen’s University Partnerships and Innovation have launched a web platform designed to match small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with potential partners from around the world based on the expertise and fields of interest of both parties using Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Canadian SMEs can quickly and accurately become matched to an international partner to help their business grow through investment, licensing, or distribution arrangements by creating a profile for their business on the platform. Potential business partners can be matched with SMEs that meet their criteria for partnership. Both SMEs and partners are screened before being admitted to the platform to ensure quality matches are made.
Established in 2011 in response to the changing global economy and an increasing demand for world-class technologies in Asia and operating out of offices in in Hong Kong and Nanjing of Jiangsu province, WD Asia is the first permanent technology commercialization entity in Asia ever created by a Canadian organization.
Over the years, WD Asia has achieved a series of successes in facilitating licensing deals, research collaborations, and the creation of start-ups for London’s researchers valued at $30 million CAD total.
By early 2019, with the support from many strategic partners and years of development, WD Asia has grown into a successful professional services provider dedicated to helping research institutions and high-tech small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) across Ontario form intellectual property and innovation partnerships in China.
A new startup proposed by team BacCheck aims to bring to market a topical ointment using a microbiome modulation with CRISPR technology to combat anti-biotic resistant bacteria such as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus commonly known as MRSA. The cross-faculty team met at the Proteus Innovation Competition launch event and decided to team up to develop a commercialization plan for technology offered up by Western.
Proteus is an intense, four-month competition that takes three newly developed technologies from Ontario research institutions and challenges teams to plan their commercialization. It is a partnership among WORLDiscoveries, Western Entrepreneurship, Western Research Parks, TechAlliance, McMaster University and the University of Windsor.
Western Medical Innovation Fellows Bashar Yafouz, Wagner H. Souza, and Maryam Majedi participated in the fifth annual Proteus Innovation Competition and through their abstract, business plan proposal and business pitch grabbed one of the top three $5,000 prizes and the chance to license and market the technology.
The Fellows, part of Western’s Medical Innovation Fellowship (MIF) program which immerses early career scientists, engineers and clinicians in a training and research-heavy environment with the goal of developing future leaders and innovators of world-class medical technologies.
The skills learned from their program gave them a competitive advantage when they decided to participate in the Proteus Innovation Competition – an intense, four-month competition that takes three newly developed technologies from Ontario research institutions and challenges teams to plan their commercialization. It is a partnership among WORLDiscoveries, Western Entrepreneurship, Western Research Parks, TechAlliance, McMaster University and the University of Windsor.
Becoming an entrepreneur takes a lot of ambition. The best time to start was yesterday. The next best time to start is May 5!
The ‘Master the Entrepreneur Skillset’ is a six-week online program that will introduce you to the tools and mindset required to succeed as an entrepreneur. You do not need an idea or a pre-existing team to join the program. Just an open mind and a willingness to learn and explore your full potential. For a limited time, our program is being offered for free to Western alumni, students, faculty, and staff (all tuition and fees waived). Space is limited. Sign-up today to claim your spot.
Our team has compiled a list of funding opportunities to help combat the impacts of COVID-19. This list will be updated as opportunities become available.
The Ontario government has set up an Expert Panel on Intellectual Property with the mandate of the panel being to protect home-grown innovation and maximize commercialization. The panel is looking at various opportunities to improve in the post-secondary education sector including at incubators, accelerators, technology transfer offices, and innovation centres.
The panel is looking to make recommendations to the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities to improve the generation and commercialization of research and intellectual property.
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