Blogs

The University of Central Florida’s (UCF) Dr. Bradley Jay Willenberg has partnered with FirstIgnite to explore research collaboration opportunities with companies engaged in his area of expertise. Dr. Willenberg joined the College of Medicine at UCF in 2014. He is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Department of Internal Medicine and his research disciplines include mosquito control science, the development of novel biomaterials, and the engineering of cellular tissue.Much of Dr. Willenberg’s research focuses on mosquito control. In 2020, the mosquito control service market size was worth $694.7 million dollars, and will reach $1235.8 million dollars by 2027. This market continues to grow due to the threat that mosquitos pose to global public health.The University of Central Florida is home to many world class researchers including Dr. Willenburg. If you would be interested in speaking with him regarding his research and collaborative opportunities, please schedule time with him directly here.

FirstIgnite is supporting the commercialization of Cleveland State University’s new technology for sensitivity receptors. This treatment holds great promise as a cancer therapy due to its selectivity for cancer cells. The benefits of this technology include that it selectively induces apoptosis in a broad range of tumor types and has minimal toxicity.This technology is applicable to cancer treatment and pharmaceuticals. It is estimated that by 2040 there will be 30.2 million cancer patients globally. As demand for cancer therapeutics rises, the market will experience significant growth. In 2021, the global cancer therapeutics market was worth $166.5 billion and is expected to increase to $335.06 billion by 2029.Cleveland State University’s technology for sensitivity receptors is ready for collaboration, and they are looking for industry feedback on their research and potential future collaboration (licensing, partnerships, industry feedback, etc.). Is your company the right fit? If you’d be available for a conversation with the Cleveland State University team, you can schedule a time directly on their team’s calendar here.

The process of creating an object by building it one layer at a time is called additive manufacturing or 3D printing. In 1983, Chuck Hull invented the first 3D printer, and with advancements in technology, the market has grown exponentially since then. The global additive manufacturing market is worth $16.75 billion dollars in 2022 and is expected to reach $76.16 billion dollars by 2030.

The market growth of additive manufacturing is attributed to its many applications in industries such as healthcare, automotive, aerospace & defense, and research and development in 3D printing. Currently, the top additive manufacturing companies include Stratasys ($636 million dollar revenue), 3D Systems ($602 million dollar revenue), and GE Additive ($263 million dollar revenue). Additionally, venture capital investment in additive manufacturing increased from $353 million dollars in 2016 to $1.2 billion dollars in 2021.Additive manufacturing has significant benefits, including lower energy and environmental costs, design flexibility, and reduced storage and inventory costs. In 2021, 2.2 million 3D printer units were shipped. Furthermore, the 3D printing equipment market was worth $4.5 billion dollars in 2021.The revenue of additive manufacturing companies is growing each year, with over 5,000 companies in operation today. Campuses need to reach out and form innovation partnerships with these companies in order to stay competitive. FirstIgnite can help your university identify and partner with the specific companies you need to further your research and development in the additive manufacturing industry.

Did you know that a University of Wisconsin biochemist discovered Warfarin? Dr. Karl Link originated the anticoagulant compound that continues to save many lives today.The discovery of Warfarin dates to the 1920s when cows were dying of unknown causes in the northern prairie states of America and Canada. While working at the University of Wisconsin, Dr. Link discovered that the cause was the chemical compound “coumarin” that was present in hay fed to the cows. In 1948, Dr. Link developed the compound into a rat poison called Warfarin. This development eventually led to the discovery that Warfarin could be safely consumed by humans as a way to prevent blood clots. One of the early recipients of Warfarin was President Dwight D. Eisenhower following a heart attack. Today, the medication is most commonly used to treat those with a mechanical heart valve, atrial fibrillation, clotting disorders, or a higher risk of a blood clot after hip or knee surgery.

As of 2021, the anticoagulants market is worth $32 billion and is expected to reach $70 billion by 2031. It is estimated that 2,424,821 people in the United States alone use Warfarin. Those 2,424,821 lives were saved because of a university innovation.University innovation has the ability to change the world. Keeping up with university innovation is crucial to your organization's competitiveness. FirstIgnite can help your organization identify and partner with the specific universities, laboratories, and experts you need in order to discover the next life-saving drug, like Warfarin.

Corgan is a leading architecture and design firm with a user‑centered approach and deep technical experience. They are consistently ranked as one of the top 10 architecture firms in the United States and their core disciplines are supported by a wide range of supplemental services, all of which have a singular goal: to build environments where their clients thrive. From interior design, aviation planning, sustainability and more, Corgan is responsible for creating some of the most forward-thinking building and infrastructure designs to support ever changing global requirements for the future. It is within this vein that their team partnered with FirstIgnite in the Summer and Fall of 2022 to identify academic experts who could help their team identify and implement specific future initiatives in the sustainability field.As companies grapple with the changing effects brought on by worldwide green initiatives, it’s important for organizations to be able to identify effective research which can help support their agenda and initiatives. FirstIgnite provides these kinds of research conversations quickly and effectively, specifically with academic experts whose fields of research match those of the interested company. Organizations like Corgan provide FirstIgnite with specific questions and keywords which are then entered into FirstIgnite’s proprietary software. The software then matches this information with academic experts around the world who would be best suited to address these questions. FirstIgnite then reaches out to each of the identified experts, qualifies their ability to answer additional questions from the company partner, and then brokers discussions between companies and experts. This process takes all the grunt work off the plate of the company and quickly coordinates effective discussions which have real world consequences in their applications.[caption id="attachment_5111" align="alignnone" width="614"]

Corgan's areas of architectural expertise.[/caption]Corgan followed this process with FirstIgnite, seeking out several experts who could best address their sustainability needs. By relying on FirstIgnite to get these conversations to action, they were able to concentrate on pressing company needs while the entire introduction, qualification, scheduling, and coordination of conversations was taken care of for them, ensuring that the several discussions they had throughout 2022 with academic experts would be useful to Corgan’s bottom line.Corporations are at the forefront of research concerns that effect the public at large. In the field of architecture, specifically sustainability is an ever-present concern with ramifications for years on end. By working with FirstIgnite, Corgan was able to address present concerns and work towards future solutions. It’s this proactive attitude that FirstIgnite takes to all relationships, working with corporate partners large and small to find effective academic experts to provide real world solutions.

FirstIgnite is supporting the commercialization of Bowling Green State University’s new COVID-19 related technology for DNA aptamers as universal inhibitors of spike protein/hACE2 interactions. The benefits of this technology include that it is cost-effective, has low immunogenicity and toxicity, and can be manufactured using routine chemical synthesis. Additionally, it could bridge the gap for at-risk individuals and young children (ages 2-5) who can't or shouldn't take current COVID vaccines or therapies.As COVID-19 treatments become more prevalent, the market continues to grow. By 2030, $25.6 billion is expected to be generated by the global COVID-19 therapeutics market, which was valued at $5.26 billion in 2020.Bowling Green State University's technology for DNA aptamers as universal inhibitors of spike protein/hACE2 interactions is ready for commercialization, and they are looking for industry feedback on their research and potential future collaboration (licensing, partnerships, industry feedback, etc.). Is your company the right fit? If you’d be available for a conversation with the Bowling Green State University team, you can schedule a time directly on their team’s calendar here.

Stanford University has partnered with FirstIgnite to find affiliate companies for their Computer Forum. This cooperative venture promotes collaboration between Stanford's Computer Science and Electrical Engineering departments and 60+ companies in Silicon Valley, the rest of the United States, Asia, and Europe. The benefits of affiliation with the Computer Forum include access to multiple Stanford University resources, including student recruitment, annual meetings and workshops, and industrial scholar opportunities.The Computer Forum assists companies in developing a strategy to optimize their recruitment efforts. They also conduct research in the areas of systems, software, networking, databases, security, graphics, foundations in computer science, artificial intelligence, robotics, machine learning, and scientific computing.Would your company be interested in becoming a Computer Forum affiliate? If you are interested in a conversation with the Stanford University team, you can schedule a time directly on their team’s calendar here.

The University of Minnesota has partnered with FirstIgnite to find companies who would be interested in collaborative research opportunities in relation to their expertise in the field of sensor networks, biomedical sensors, wastewater sensors, and sensor systems and control. Their faculty members collaborate not only with researchers and faculty at institutions across the U.S. and abroad, but also with industry professionals.The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering as well as the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geo- Engineering conduct research in important sensing areas. One area, biomedical sensing, is a growing field. The global biomedical sensor market size was worth $6.44 billion in 2020 and is expected to reach $20.95 billion by 2028.The University of Minnesota has gained a competitive advantage thanks to their research initiatives. Would your company like to be an affiliate? If you are interested in a conversation with the University of Minnesota team, you can schedule a time directly on their team’s calendar here.

FirstIgnite is supporting the commercialization of Portland State University’s new scalable production method for hydrogen peroxide in situ with carbonyl compounds. This production method eliminates the need for explosive gas mixtures, is a “green” method for H₂O₂ production that can be implemented to produce peroxide alongside value-added chemicals, and allows for the production of peroxide on site, which may be utilized in reactions elsewhere by the producer or sold for local use without need for purchase and long-range shipment from a central production facility.

This technology is applicable to flavors and fragrances, major industrial chemicals, peroxide production, dyes and coloring agents, and pharmaceuticals. As of 2022, the global flavors and fragrances market is worth $24.14 billion and is expected to reach $34.19 billion by 2030.

Portland State University's scalable production method for hydrogen peroxide in situ with carbonyl compounds is ready for commercialization, and they are looking for industry feedback on their research and potential future collaboration (licensing, partnerships, industry feedback, etc.). Is your company the right fit? If you’d be available for a conversation with the Portland State University team, you can schedule a time directly on their team’s calendar here.

Aerospace began in 1903 with the demonstration of powered, sustained flight by Wilbur and Orville Wright. Since then, the aerospace field has experienced impressive growth due to technological advancements. Today, flight vehicles are developed, researched, and manufactured by the aerospace industry. The global aerospace parts manufacturing market is worth $899.5 billion dollars in 2022 and is expected to reach $1233.2 billion dollars by 2030.

With numerous commercial, industrial, and military applications, aerospace activity is very diverse, and many companies contribute to the industry. Currently, the top aerospace companies include Boeing ($62.286 billion dollar revenue), Airbus ($61.697 billion dollar revenue), and Lockheed Martin ($67.044 billion dollar revenue). In addition, between 2019 and 2021, the amount of venture capital funding for American aerospace and defense startups tripled, reaching $10 billion dollars.Aerospace experiences constant activity; the total number of passengers carried was 4.5 billion in 2019. By 2036, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) predicts that global passenger numbers will reach 7.8 billion. To meet that demand, the aviation industry continues to increase output. Airbus announced in 2018 that about 37,400 new aircraft are required over the next 20 years.Furthermore, the space sector of aerospace proves to be an innovative and constantly growing area. In the past 10 years, there were $177.7 billion dollars in investments spread across 1,343 unique space companies. Among the top companies in this sector, SpaceX ($2 billion dollar revenue) launched 31 Falcon 9 rockets in 2021, breaking its record for the number of missions completed in a year.Today, there are over 9,000 aerospace companies that are receiving massive growth in revenue each year. Campuses need to reach out and form innovation partnerships with these companies in order to stay competitive. FirstIgnite can help your university identify and partner with the specific companies you need to further your research and development in the aerospace industry.

Electronic devices and equipment require semiconductors to regulate electric current flow. As technology advances, more and more semiconductors need to be manufactured. The global semiconductor market is worth $456.79 billion dollars in 2022 and is expected to reach $772.03 billion dollars by 2030.There are countless applications for semiconductors, including communication systems, computing, healthcare, military systems, transportation, renewable energy, etc. Currently, the top semiconductor companies include Qualcomm ($44.2 billion dollar revenue), Nvidia ($26.914 billion dollar revenue), and NXP Semiconductors ($11.063 billion dollar revenue).

The semiconductor industry is growing at a rapid rate, increasing from the $335.2 billion dollar market size in 2015 and will grow to over $772 billion by the end of the decade. Around 1.14 trillion semiconductor chips were sold worldwide in 2021, which is about 140 chips for every person on the planet, or 130 million per hour. Semiconductor companies are finding it difficult to keep up with the high demand. Venture investment in semiconductor startups reached $2.6 billion dollars across 75 companies in 2021.Today, there are over 5,000 semiconductor companies that collectively will have over $300 billion new dollars to spend every year over the next 10 years. Reaching out and connecting with them in order to form innovation partnerships is crucial for your campus. FirstIgnite can help your university identify and partner with the semiconductor companies you need to further your research and development in the semiconductor industry.

Did you know that two university engineers invented the first spreadsheet? Dan Bricklin and Bob Frankston developed the computer program that changed the way we organize data.

Prior to the invention of spreadsheets, data was organized, analyzed, and manipulated by hand. This method took more time and accounted for more errors. In 1979, Bricklin, while obtaining his master’s degree from Harvard University, and Frankston developed the first spreadsheet. Bricklin and Frankston had previously worked together at MIT and used a rented computer at the university to create the spreadsheet. They called this program VisiCalc, and it was programmed for the Apple II computer. The program was a success and marked the beginning of businesses purchasing the Apple II for the software. The two inventors established an entire category with the invention of VisiCalc, an impressive achievement born out of university innovation.

After the invention of VisiCalc, many more advanced spreadsheet programs surfaced, such as the program from the company Consumers Software, which was acquired by Microsoft and is the basis for Microsoft Excel. Today, Microsoft Excel is the top spreadsheet software, which has 1.1 billion users. VisiCalc paved the way for this program which is now considered essential for many businesses. As of 2022, the U.S. office software market is worth $24.7 billion dollars and is expected to reach $37.4 billion dollars by 2028. The spreadsheet software market captured the largest market share in this category.

University innovation has the ability to change the world. Your organization needs to be aware of innovations emerging on campuses all over the world in order to remain competitive. FirstIgnite can help your organization identify and partner with the specific universities, laboratories, and experts you need in order to discover the next technological breakthrough, like the spreadsheet.