Leading Pennsylvania Universities to Share Innovations and Best Practices
For Immediate Release: June 3, 2009
Ben Franklin Technology Partners and iBridgeSM Network Team Up for Advanced Research Collaboration
State College, PA – The iBridgeSM Network, a program of the not-for-profit Kauffman Innovation Network, Inc., announced a new collaboration with Ben Franklin Technology Partners (BFTP). This initiative will enable many Pennsylvania-based universities to contribute their research to the Network – a site which is often referred to as the on-line community destination for sharing ideas, research, and knowledge. iBridge provides a public, centralized source for unbiased information about early-stage technologies and inventions.
Participating BFTP-sponsored universities will be encouraged to utilize the iBridge Network to post innovations across a broad spectrum of topics. Universities and non-profits use the iBridge Web site to distribute and license a variety of items, including software, research tools, databases, teaching materials, surveys, reference materials and patent-protected technologies.
Stephen Brawley, President and CEO of Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Central and Northern Pennsylvania commented, “Pennsylvania’s top research universities generate a wealth of intellectual capital and each is fully committed to sharing its promising technologies – this is a perfect outlet for all of the leading edge work done every day in university-based research labs throughout the state.”
With 64 universities supplying more than 4,500 innovations on the iBridge Network Web site, it is fast becoming the free destination of choice for researchers and technology transfer officers to post research from their universities, as well as the proven innovation resource to discover leading edge research occurring at other institutions. The Web site is designed to encourage more open and efficient access to research and to turn university research from early stage ideas to licensable technologies. The flexible nature of the site allows universities and other non-profit organizations to adapt it to best complement their existing processes for collaboration and technology transfer.
“Ben Franklin Technology Partners is an organization that embodies our mission to move innovations from ideas to the marketplace,” said Laura Paglione, director, iBridge Network. “We are excited to begin working with them to integrate Pennsylvania universities’ research and help them take advantage of the thousands of innovations already on our Web site.”
The Pennsylvania universities supported by BFTP working with the iBridge Network include:
• Drexel University
• Duquesne University
• Lehigh University
• Northeast Pennsylvania Technology Institute
• Pennsylvania State University
• Temple University
• University of Pennsylvania
About Ben Franklin Technology Partners/Central and Northern
Ben Franklin Technology Partners/CNP is part of a statewide network that operates regionally with four Partners strategically located throughout the Commonwealth. Ben Franklin provides emerging and existing businesses with access to risk capital, business expertise, technology assessment, and specialized third party resources. BFTP is an initiative of the PA Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) and is funded by the Ben Franklin Technology Development Authority. For more information, see www.cnp.benfranklin.org
About the iBridgeSM Network
The iBridgeSM Network is a program of the Kauffman Innovation Network, Inc., an initiative of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation of Kansas City. To learn more, visit www.iBridgeNetwork.org, e-mail us at info@iBridgeNetwork.org, or call 800-573-5136.
More information about the Kauffman Foundation is available at www.kauffman.org.