Being an inventor is kind of like running a marathon. A spark of inspiration coupled with a lot of endurance, mental strength, and moral support are needed to cross the finish line.
Just like the runners who pound the pavement to achieve their goals, dozens of UConn inventors disclose new inventions each year. Some may go the distance. Others will fail. While it could take years for a discovery from an academic researcher’s lab to become a licensed technology or company, there are always lots of people cheering along the way. That is certainly true at UConn, where inventors have access to many programs that support innovation and entrepreneurship.
“UConn is not just an educational institution — invention happens here. We are committed to supporting our entrepreneurial faculty and students so their bright ideas can become products and companies that help society and the economy,” says Radenka Maric, vice president for research, innovation and entrepreneurship at UConn and UConn Health.
In honor of National Inventors’ Day, we’ll follow a fictional UConn inventor on her journey to transform a University discovery into a product or startup and learn more about UConn’s history of innovation along the way.
Hundreds of faculty, students, and staff across UConn's campuses have taken the same journey as fictional UConn professor Augusta Dempsey. The finish line for them may not always be a startup. For other UConn inventors, success might come in the form of a licensing deal to develop custom-fit mask frames or countless patents for hybrid plants. A select few UConn-based innovations have even turned into some of the fastest-growing companies in the country. Regardless of the outcome, of success or failure, the journey always starts with inventors who turn a novel idea into a world of possibilities.
To learn more about disclosing inventions and forming startups, visit the UConn Technology Commercialization Services website.
