Spring 2018

The Materials Science Institute and the Knight Campus are teaming up to support the Lens of the Market program. This program aims to provide participants with market awareness stemming from their own fundamental science pursuits to enhance the impact of their research and address global challenges. The program provides professional development in innovation to participants in the context of UO science research themes. The 2018 research platforms include a variety of functional molecules, materials, and devices that can be applied in applications ranging from the environment and agriculture to medical devices and biotechnology.

In the first few months of the spring quarter, faculty held informational gatherings to generate interest in the program. From those meetings four teams have come together in the following areas: emissive organic molecules and materials; functional organic molecules and materials; fractal materials as bio-inspired interconnects; and functionalized inorganic/metal-oxide (nano)materials.

Stage One
The one-day Stage One "Research2Innovation" workshop on May 31, 2018, provides a rapid introduction to the vocabulary, skills, tools, and road map needed to engage in successfully translating research into innovations.

Stage Two
The Stage Two "Innovation2Market" workshop series runs for six months beginning with a three-day set June 19-21 and ending on Dec. 10. This series provides the participants with the skills and confidence to validate the market for their innovations, define market aligned value propositions and differentiators, and build effective R&D plans to meet market. The teams will report out mid-term on their evaluation of "star markets" related to their research platforms. Stage 2 will conclude with final presentations by the teams on Dec. 10 in which the teams present their market analysis findings and R&D plans.