Baohong Yuan, UT Arlington bioengineering assistant professor, works with some of his students on his research of capturing better pictures of tumors in deep tissue. Photo courtesy of UT Arliington.
The University of Texas at Arlington and TechFW, a Fort Worth-based technology startup initiative, have agreed to a multi-year partnership to commercialize university research. TechFW@UTA will offer training and educational programs to UT Arlington faculty, staff and students. UT Arlington faculty members and research teams will gain access to the North Texas entrepreneurial community through the TechFW network. The partnership comes as UT Arlington’s research expenditures increase. UT Arlington reported $77.7 million in total research expenditures in the 2012-2013 fiscal year that ended Aug. 31.
“Research and technologies developed by a major research institution like UT Arlington have the power to generate business and strengthen the region’s economy,” said Carolyn Cason, UT Arlington vice president for research in a news release. “This collaboration with TechFW will be an important catalyst for helping the private sector capitalize on UT Arlington innovation to benefit a broad range of businesses and industries.” Darlene Boudreaux, executive director of TechFW, said the new relationship creates opportunities for her organization’s other clients.
“There will be plenty of economic opportunities for our existing clients to access the tremendous resources available at UT Arlington,” Boudreaux said. “We look forward to teaming with UT Arlington entities like the UT Arlington Research Institute and the Shimadzu Institute for Research Technology, and with professors who have secured numerous national grants.” UT Arlington faculty and researchers will have access to TechFW offices at Fort Worth’s James E. Guinn School facility, 1120 South Freeway, and at the University of North Texas Health Science Center’s Acceleration Lab, 3400 Camp Bowie Blvd. TechFW will also maintain offices at the UT Arlington Office of Research Administration, 202 E. Border St., and eventually in the College of Business. UT Arlington faculty and researchers will have access to TechFW’s core programs, including an Incubation Workshop, the Acceleration Program, Tech Nest, the Cowtown Angels Network and TechFW’s biweekly, online radio show, Tech Talk – Texas Style. The agency also plans to establish a new program called Breakthough at UT Arlington to help identify commercial value of research projects. “Breakthrough will afford up to 20 UT Arlington researchers a year the opportunity to better focus their discovery or invention for the investor community,” Boudreaux said. “Researchers and professors will gain insight into how business people think and how to move their concepts closer toward market applications.” – Robert Francis