From IDC to UIP--Mobilizing the knowledge of students and faculty members

UVic’s industry liaison office is changing its name, reflecting the evolution of its role. As of April 15, the Innovation and Development Corporation (IDC) will be known as UVic Industry Partnerships (UIP). “This change reflects an evolution in the role and focus of IDC towards creating opportunities for our students and faculty; opportunities that will mobilize their specialized knowledge for the benefit of the province and Canada,” says Dr. Howard Brunt, UVic’s vice-president research and chair of the IDC Board of Directors.

The name change is the culmination of a strategic renewal process that began three years ago under the leadership of the IDC Board and Brent Sternig, IDC’s president and CEO.

“The new name more accurately reflects what we do,” says Sternig. “UVic Industry Partnerships is a key point of contact for industry and government with UVic’s talented researchers. As such, we actively promote innovation and high-quality research at UVic. We also help researchers connect with industry so that they can access the many benefits of collaboration such as additional funding sources, access to new or additional industrial equipment, and the opportunity to obtain feedback from the marketplace.”

Since 1992, the office has been linking UVic researchers and students with industry, government and community, transforming great ideas into commercially viable businesses. As of March 31, 2010, it had filed more than 340 national and international patent applications helped incorporate more than 50 university spin-off companies and received more than 670 invention disclosures. In recent years, the office has shifted its focus to work with and assist the Office of Research Services in supporting the more than 350 research contracts the university enters into on an annual basis.

“We still offer many of the same services to faculty, staff and students, so recent clients will not notice a lot of changes,” says Sternig. “However, those who have not worked with us in a few years would see a marked change in ideology. We are working more closely with researchers to take a holistic view of how intellectual property can be used to benefit all the stakeholders in a research ecosystem.”

For more information about UVic Industry Partnerships visit it http://www.uvic.ca/industry after April 15.