Office of Technology Management, Urbana-Champaign

The University of Illinois’ Research Park was awarded Outstanding Research Park of the Year from the Association of University of Research Parks (AURP) during its annual Awards of Excellence ceremony on December 1, 2011.

The 16th Annual AURP Awards of Excellence ceremony was held during the AURP 2011 International Conference in New Orleans, and is dedicated to the achievements of research parks and industry veterans.

A couple of weeks ago, Lesley Millar, our director, and Svetlana Sowers, visiting tech manager, took a trip to Singapore to take an inside look at the University’s relationship with the ADSC research center and A*STAR, as well as to help commercialize technology and discuss the potential for disclosure in the United States.

TetraVitae, an Illinois Start-Up located in EnterpriseWorks, is a leading developer of renewable chemicals, including bio-based butanol and acetone. They were acquired by Eastman Renewable Materials, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Eastman Chemical Company. The press release from Eastman Chemical Company is below:

Eastman Acquires TetraVitae Bioscience Assets

I-Start—a program assisting future entrepreneurs to form start-up companies through EnterpriseWorks at the University of Illinois’ Research Park—has its first client.

EnterpriseWorks created the I-Start program to encourage University of Illinois inventors to pursue start-up formations and to promote their research and technology. Because of the numerous steps and details involved in start-up formations, the program will ease the process by decreasing the workload of the inventor and/or new entrepreneur.

The 2011 National Institutes of Health Director’s New Innovator Award will be awarded to Douglas A. Mitchell, a chemistry professor at the University of Illinois.

This prestigious award honors young innovators that have illustrated promising research with the potential to make a difference in the health care industry. Recipients receive $1.5 million over the course of 5 years to assist them with furthering their research.

The University of Illinois is one of 21 universities across the country selected to receive awards totaling $12 million from the U.S. Commerce Department's Economic Development Administration (EDA) through its University Center Program. Winning universities are receiving funding to enhance regional economic development tools  that will expand opportunity and create jobs.

Read the U.S. Economic Development Administration's press release