This September, the FirstIgnite team is taking the FirstIgnite World Tour on the road, and into the skies, as we travel across the U.S. and Europe to connect with the people and organizations shaping the future of research, innovation, and university-industry partnerships.

From Charlotte to Brescia, Denver, Copenhagen, and Dallas, our team will be joining leading events across the innovation ecosystem to exchange ideas, build relationships, and explore new opportunities for collaboration.

For us, these events are about more than simply showing up. They're an opportunity to listen, learn, and connect with the people working every day to move research and innovation forward.

Charlotte | AUTM University

September 15–17 | Charlotte, North Carolina

Our World Tour kicks off in Charlotte at AUTM University, bringing together technology transfer and innovation professionals for education, networking, and professional development.

The event features programming across areas including agreements and finance, compliance, operations, software, startups, and more, making it an important gathering for professionals working to advance research commercialization and technology transfer.

We're looking forward to connecting with the AUTM community and discussing how technology and AI can help universities identify opportunities, strengthen partnerships, and accelerate commercialization.

Brescia | Netval

September 16–18 | Brescia, Italy

From Charlotte, we'll head across the Atlantic to Brescia, Italy, for Netval.

As we continue expanding our conversations across the European innovation ecosystem, this stop will be an opportunity to connect with university and research professionals working across technology transfer, knowledge exchange, and commercialization.

We're excited to meet with leaders from across Italy and learn more about the opportunities and challenges shaping European research and innovation.

Denver | UIDP

September 22–24 | Denver, Colorado

Next up is Denver for UIDP, where university and industry leaders come together to advance research collaborations and partnerships.

University industry collaboration is at the heart of what we do at FirstIgnite, and we're excited to be part of the conversations happening around how universities and companies can create stronger, more productive pathways for collaboration.

We'll be looking forward to connecting with existing partners, meeting new organizations, and sharing how FirstIgnite helps universities identify and develop meaningful industry opportunities.

Copenhagen | Nordic Innovation

September 28–29 | Copenhagen, Denmark

Our European journey continues in Copenhagen with Nordic Innovation.

The Nordic region has built a strong reputation for innovation and collaboration, making Copenhagen an exciting stop on the FirstIgnite World Tour.

We're looking forward to connecting with organizations across the Nordic innovation ecosystem and exploring how stronger connections between research, industry, and commercialization can help promising ideas move further, faster.

Dallas | AURP International Conference

September 29–October 1 | Dallas, Texas

We'll close out the World Tour in Dallas at the AURP International Conference, hosted at Pegasus Park.

The conference will bring together leaders from universities, research parks, innovation districts, technology hubs, industry, and economic development organizations to explore the future of innovation ecosystems.

One Month. Five Cities. One Shared Mission.

While each stop on the FirstIgnite World Tour brings together a different community, they all share a common goal: turning research and innovation into meaningful impact.

That requires strong relationships between universities, companies, researchers, investors, technology leaders, and the broader innovation ecosystem.

That's why we're excited to spend September meeting the people doing this work firsthand.

Whether you're attending one of these events, already working with FirstIgnite, or simply interested in the future of research commercialization and university-industry partnerships, we'd love to connect.

Will you be at one of our stops? Come find the FirstIgnite team and say hello. We're looking forward to a month of conversations, collaboration, and new connections across the innovation ecosystem.

See you on the road!