The Hechinger Report did a deep dive on the lackluster efforts of universities to translate scientific discoveries into marketable products that help the world. They discovered that UC Riverside is one of the few that have eased the path toward commercialization, resulting in a record 42 patents last year and a 10% increase in direct corporate research funding.
The report says that one tactic UCR uses to accomplish this is by spending money to make money, giving $1.4 million so far to researchers who want to show proof of concept, which government grants typically don’t cover.
Brian Suh, director of Technology Partnerships, told the Hechinger Report, “Our main objective is, yes, we want to get a return. But first we want to know, are they really going to be able to take this technology and bring it to market, which is a win-win for both sides.”
