Albuquerque, NM – March 23, 2015 STC hosted students and professors from Osaka Prefecture University (OPU) this week as part of its professional internship academy. The group of seven visitors included four undergraduate and graduate students and three professors who have spent the week at STC learning about university technology transfer and commercialization and entrepreneurship.
Located in Osaka, Japan, in the Kansai region, Osaka Prefecture University is known for its highly ranked programs in computer Science, materials science aerospace engineering, its extensive industry-academia collaborations, and its excellence in innovative research. Students Takahiro Sasaki, Kenji Adachi, Keitaro Ishiguro, and Ryoji Yamamoto from the engineering department were accompanied by Assistant Professor Yohsuke Nambu, Professor Yoshiro Akagi, and Professor Toshiyuki Matsui.
Dr. Matsui is the Director of the Industry-University Cooperative Center for Advanced Education at OPU and a materials scientist. Professor Yoshiro Akagi, also a materials scientist, worked with UNM Professor Plamen Atanassov and researchers at Sandia National Labs on developing and commercializing materials and energy technologies when he worked for the Sharp Corporation.
The schedule of instruction, activities and events for the OPU visitors included presentations by STC staff on marketing, social media, licensing and start-up business development, business plan development and entrepreneurship, and economic development. Stacy Sacco, Director of the UNM Anderson School’s Small Business Institute also lectured to the group on entrepreneurship.
Activities and events included tours of the UNM Science & Technology Park, the smart grid project at Mesa del Sol and the UNM Global Education Office, meetings with Professor Plamen Atanassov from the SOE Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, Professor Andrea Mammoli from the SOE Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Center for Emerging Energy Technologies, start-up companies Pajarito Powder, Eta Diagnostics, Inc., and SolaranRx, and attendance at seminars on university intellectual property topics by STC IP attorneys. Professor Matsui also presented to the UNM Economic Development Council on OPU’s industry-university cooperative program.
OPU and UNM, through its Global Education Office, have signed a General Cooperation Agreement between the two institutions that establishes a student exchange program that will provide educational opportunities for students and professional opportunities for faculty and staff.
The week culminated in an informal pitch contest for the students who pitched a variety of technologies they are interested in commercializing to CEO Lisa Kuuttila, the commercialization staff and Mr. Sacco. Assistant Professor Yohsuke Nambu presented on a systems engineering technology called BALUS (Browser-based Assisted Library Universal System design application), which is designed to reduce the cost and improve the quality of engineering projects. The technology is a WEB application for system developers. The students received feedback on what was effective and suggestions for improving their presentations.
STC CEO Lisa Kuuttila was pleased with the successful visit. “This was a truly outstanding group of students and faculty from OPU. They were very interested in learning about our program and sharing information about what they are doing to grow their own program of commercialization. We look forward to working with more students and faculty through the exchange program and through our professional internship program.”
Next week STC will host another group of students and professors from Osaka Prefecture University.
Source: STC.UNM
For more information, contact:
Denise Bissell
dbissell@stc.unm.edu