Product Development
Competitive Research (also referred to as Non-core Research or Product Development) – shared only with the sponsor)
Non-core sponsored activities fall in the TRL3-7 category and are carried out typically for a specific sponsor outside of the core activities and the results are only shared with the sponsor. We see non-core activities as an important component of our mission in that they help with the bigger role we can play in terms of technical assistance provided to corporations that result in economic development, wealth creation, and more importantly, job creation… We have instituted a program dealing with such activities some time ago that translates science into reality and are designed to move technology towards the market by using a decision-making process based on sound stage-gate processes.
Our guiding principals are that such programs must be transformative in that the new product or activity:
- Challenges what is possible
- Disrupts existing learning curves
- Leaps beyond today’s technologies
Therefore, we do not engage in reverse engineering or helping create a me-too product. In the last 15+ years, we have been quite successful at creating some new products/processes and these have led to a number of patents and commercial products. These activities are driven towards using our know-how and the knowledge gained over the years to help develop a new product/process and inevitably, these activities lead to patents. The net result is that we have many more patents arising from non-core research programs sponsored by individual companies.
These projects typically follow the stage-gate process with well-defined milestones, deliverables, and payments. Each project is different, but in general, the budget will cover labor, materials, labs, and university overheads. The Sponsor is responsible for all costs incurred. IP terms are negotiable.
For more information about research and custom projects, please send an email to NWI questions.