December 4, 2023 · Innovation, Stories
Accelerating Innovation on The Plains
Auburn isn’t only home to football games and college classes—it’s also fostering a burgeoning entrepreneurial community and leading the way in research for science-based solutions to complex problems.
Auburn University was recently ranked in the top 11% of U.S. research institutions according to the National Science Foundation, coming in at No. 100 among 915 universities. The university has invested heavily in research capabilities across sectors including bioenergy, agriculture, pharmaceuticals and more. Undergraduates, graduates, professors and faculty alike have the opportunity and resources to invest time and money into groundbreaking investigations.
Adjacent to campus, The Park at Auburn serves as the heart of the community’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. The 172-acre research park offers a collaborative environment that offers space for businesses and connects the tremendous talent of founders to a network of experts with scientific and business expertise. From helping launch businesses to supporting companies well into their lifespan, The Park provides office space, incubators, access to capital, research capabilities and access to world class experts.
The Park is also home to the New Venture Accelerator, a startup incubator that assists student-entrepreneurs, faculty and staff startups and early-stage commercial ventures with business R&D. Faculty and student startups have already seen success, raising more than $88 million in investment funding.
“What I find exciting now is Auburn’s focus on taking those solutions and moving them from campus to our community, state and region in new ways—notably through commercializing discovery and innovation,” said Cary Chandler, senior director of Auburn Research and Technology Foundation.
In addition to financial support, The Park offers The IP Exchange, which helps inventors protect and license innovative ideas and methods. Between 2014 and 2022, the IP Exchange issued 153 U.S. patents, executed 126 license and option agreements, formed 18 startup companies and received over $15 million in licensing revenue.
“Big ideas mean big impacts for Alabama, and we’re ready for the next chapter,” added Chandler.
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