Innovation & Industry Partnerships
// Innovation Ecosystem
Innovation & Industry
Partnerships
WesternU's Office of Research Outreach connects faculty innovators with the resources, partners, and pathways needed to bring discoveries to market. Our office serves as a central hub for transforming research into real-world applications.
// How It Works
The Full Cycle Innovation Ecosystem
Step 01
Protect Your Innovation
Document your discovery through a formal Invention Disclosure to establish priority and explore commercialization pathways.
Step 02
Concept-to-Market (C2M)
Competitive seed grants to fund feasibility studies, prototype development, and early-stage validation. Rolling submissions accepted year-round.
Step 03
Vector Health Accelerator
A structured curriculum bridging the "Innovation Gap" with evidence-based differentiation, pitch toolkits, and strategic commercialization resources.
Step 04
Find a Partnership
Connect with industry collaborators through our Tradespace.io-powered matching platform. Post your research interests and find the right organizational partner.
Step 05
Technology Inventory
Browse WesternU's portfolio of licensable technologies and faculty innovations available for commercialization.
// Start Your Journey
Where to Begin as a Faculty Innovator
* This is the recommended guideline, you can follow them in any order
1
Foundation
File an Invention Disclosure
Before sharing your work publicly or with industry partners, document your innovation through WesternU's formal disclosure process. This establishes priority and opens the door to IP protection and commercialization support.
2
Validation
Apply for C2M Seed Funding
Use Concept-to-Market funding to de-risk your innovation with proof-of-concept experiments, market research, or prototype development.
3
Acceleration
Enter the Vector Health Accelerator
Strengthen your commercialization strategy with structured curriculum, expert mentors, and a cohort of fellow WesternU innovators navigating the path from lab to market.
4
Scale
Connect with Industry Partners
Through our partnership with Tradespace we can identify organizations aligned with your research area.