Faculty members from all three SIU campuses, Carbondale, Edwardsville and Springfield, gathered in the SIUE Morris University Center Conference Center on Tuesday, Sept. 23, for the SIU Innovation Expo. The system-wide expo titled, “Making Better Megawatts, Mousetraps and Medicine,” was held to promote collaborative research and commercialization opportunities between faculty and businesses in the area. See the video.
“The purpose of the expo is igniting collaborations and partnerships between industry and faculty that can move discoveries from the lab to the marketplace,” said Dr. Jerry Weinberg, associate provost for research and dean of the Graduate School.
SIU president Randy Dunn welcomed the attendees.
“We’re always looking for opportunities to make our research relevant, to find a way to apply it and benefit those who we serve,” said Dunn. “As we see outcomes from moving research into commercial operations, we create opportunities for our students in the form of internships and jobs, and show positive return on investment for everyone involved.”
Dr. George Vermont, of the National Science Foundation Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Program, served as the keynote speaker. With over 32 years of experience, Vermont has worked with the SBIR since 2000. He has interviewed small businesses that have received SBIR awards in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the program.
The rest of the afternoon was filled with a networking session that encouraged business representatives to learn about faculty members’ research and discuss potential matches to their needs and ideas.
Kiosks featuring research projects and opportunities gave attendees information on work ranging from alternative energy and antibiotics to medical devices and gene therapy.
Photo: SIU President Dr. Randy Dunn speaks at the SIU Innovation Expo.