Notre Dame Looks to Strengthen Innovation ‘Ecosystem’
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowThe University of Notre Dame is dialing up its focus on entrepreneurship. Vice President of Research Bob Bernhard says a two-year study "stood back" from the typical school processes and made several recommendations to help reshape the way the school handles innovation. The study helped spur the launch of the IDEA Center, which is located at Innovation Park and will support commercialization and business creation. Notre Dame is also set to hire a new vice president of innovation.
During an interview last weekend on Inside INdiana Business, Bernhard talked about Notre Dame’s role in the full tech ecosystem that includes the university and entire region. Notre Dame played a role in the region securing participation in the high-profile Regional Cities Initiative. Recently, Elevate Ventures announced a "calculated push" to grow entrepreneurship opportunities in the region along with the Northern Indiana Regional Development Authority. Bernhard says "the stars aligning" for innovation.
Bernhard says the new, senior-level position will connect "a lot of things that were underserved in the past," including co-curricular, extracurricular and commercialization activities. He says leaders have gone so far as to reach out to graduates to solicit the community as a good place to do business.
Another Innovation Park facility, Quinn Hall, is a $5 million space for up to 30 startups. Innovation Park is located next to the South Bend campus and it opened in 2012. It is connected to sister property, Ignition Park, which now includes two Catalyst buildings that house operations like the Notre Dame Turbomachinery Laboratory and several technology-focuses startups on the old Studebaker property.
Bernhard says the IDEA Center, which stands for Innovation, Discovery and Enterprise Acceleration, will involve an innovative champion to serve as a "sherpa" who pushes along innovations. He says the center will focus less on "functions and handoffs," as the university has in the past, and more on the idea itself.