The University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, known as WARF, recently announced a new technology transfer program called Discovery to Product, or D2P.
"D2P is a big step forward in our support of entrepreneurship among both faculty and students," UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank told the university's news website. She maintains universities are integral to a knowledge-based economy, and aims to ensure UW-Madison plays its part: "I want to make sure that UW-Madison is on the cutting edge of entrepreneurship and technology commercialization."
The program will work with existing resources for entrepreneurs on the UW-Madison campus, such as its Weinert Center for Entrepreneurship and WARF's Accelerator Program. It will also collaborate with local incubators, mentorship groups, private companies and others with interest in spurring entrepreneurship with academic research.
WARF will provide funding for the technology transfer program with the aim of making UW-Madison and its partners competitive on the business as well as the educational front. D2P will not only help entrepreneurs bring academic innovations to the commercial market but also provide guidance on common startup needs like obtaining funding and mentorship.