Edison Technology Centers

This chapter will review state technology transfer initiatives, Ohio s Thomas Edison program, and the policies and programs of The Edison Polymer Innovation Corporation PIC), as one of the eight Edison Technology centers. 

The Edison Technology centers (Figure 1) were established in specialized fields where there was both opportunity for economic growth and an established foundation upon which to build. The fields selected were manufacturing systems, biotechnology, and advanced materials, including polymers. 

The Seed Development Fund and Incubator Programs are designed particularly to help entrepreneurs and small companies, but each Edison Technology Center is also required to maintain a vigorous small member... 

One of the successes of the Edison Technology Centers has been the active participation of more than 600 corporations, despite the fact that membership fees in the centers range up to 60 thousand per year, some of them with three year commitments. This says that the program meets the key market test It promises and delivers a product for which the private sector is willing to pay. 

Edison Polymer Innovation Corporation Edison Materials Technology Center... 

Edison Sensor Technology Center, Biomedical Chemistry Research Center, and Department of Chemistry, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221—0172... 

We would like to thank Dr. Michael J. Taschner for helpful discussions. C. A. T. and W. J. Y. would like to thank the Petroleum Research Fund, Office of Naval Research, State of Ohio through the Edison Center for Sensors and Technology at CWRU, and the National Science Foundation for supporting different aspects of this research. 

The National Research Council report describes the activities of the Edison Program as emphasizing "(1) commercialization, via new ventures or new companies, of research carried out at universities, medical centers and the Edison Centers (2) transfer of new knowledge from the universities to the larger companies, and (3) providing technological resources for small-medium... 

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