School:Purdue University

Overview

Purdue University is a land-grant institution founded by John Purdue in 1869. From its inaguaration, Purdue offers over 211 different majors for undergraduate students and over 70 majors for graduate students through it's various colleges including College of Agriculuture, Education, Engineering, Health and Human Sciences, Liberal Arts, Management, Pharmacy, Polytechnic Institute, Science, and Veterinary Medicine. Purdue Engineering has been ranked as the 9th best for undergraduates as well as ranked 3rd for largest international student population. Purdue Polytechnic Institute is one of the largest technology schools in the United States and currently tied for first place in rankings. The Technology Education program, offered jointly with the College of Education, ranks first in the nation. The Polytechnic Institute is unique at Purdue in that its programs are offered at nine different locations throughout the state of Indiana, including several locations that are not satellite campuses of the Purdue University system. 

Promoting student innovation and entrepreneurship

Purdue's Certificate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program offers the opportunity for Purdue Undergraduate students in all disciplines to earn academic credentials in entrepreneurship that is complementary to their major.  

As entrepreneurship education is comprised of inspiration, education, and application, the Certificate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program is aimed at delivering all three for a comprehensive experience. Students receive inspiration from a team of faculty who are successful, practicing entrepreneurs and who are passionate about teaching and mentoring students. Students learn about entrepreneurship through robust curriculum that exposes them to the knowledge, as well as the leadership and communication skills that individuals need to be successful entrepreneurs. They apply their knowledge through experiential learning activities and a rich ecosystem of experts and business incubation resources. 

Encouraging faculty innovation and entrepreneurship

The Deliberate Innovation for Faculty (DIFF) is a service provided specifically for University Faculty to learn how to bring their research ideas to fruition by translating their inventions to the publick through commericalization, collaboration, and entrepreneurship.

DIFF faculty members are undertaking transformational projects to fundamentally enhance the Purdue entrepreneurial ecosystem, as wa wya to gain practical outcomes from basic research. As such, DIFF faculty members struve to work with their peers to help guide research proposal opportunities or potential research collaborations that include entrepreneurship, technology transfer, adn commercialization as positive differentiators from project inception. 

Actively supporting the university technology transfer function 

Purdue's Office of Technology Commercialization (OTC) specializes in taking university-driven innovations and bringing them to market. Services of the OTC support the economic development of Purdue University and the tech industry of Indiana. 

The OTC provides extensive resources in protecting, marketing, and liscencing the University's intellectual property. By working alongside Purdue faculty-, staff- and student-entrepreneurs to provide the resources needed to better understand Purdue policies related to intellectual property, as well as the processes whereby this intellectual property (patents, copyright, trademarks, and tangible research property) can become an actual product or service, the OTC brings invention to the next level. Furthrer, to ensure the long-term success of the innovations, OTC utilizes inventors to partner with  startup companies to provide support and qualified management teams.

Facilitating University Industry Collaboration

Purdue Research Parks of West Lafayette are home to the largest cluster (100+) of technology-based companies collaborating with industries across the state. As Indiana's first designated certified technology park, the research park and its business acceleration model have received state and national recognition.  

The 725-acre park boasts more than 50 buildings; more than 3,200 employees; 327,000 square feet of business incubation space; and an average wage for startup companies in excess of $63K. Companies that have space at the Purdue Research Park of West Lafayette include 3M, Boeing, General Electric, Rolls Royce, Cook Biotech, Delphi, Dow Agro, and HP Entreprises. 

Engaging with Regional and Local Development Efforts

The Purdue Center for Regional Development (PCRD) seeks to pioneer new ideas and strategies that contribute to regional collaboration, innovation and prosperity. Founded in 2005, the Center partners with public, private, nonprofit and philanthropic organizations to identify and enhance the key drivers of innovation in regions across Indiana, the U.S. and beyond. These drivers include a vibrant and inclusive civic leadership, a commitment to collaboration, and the application of advanced data support systems to promote sound decision-making and the pursuit of economic development investments that build on the competitive assets of regions.

Outside the university campus, PCRD has a rich history of working with a number of state and regional organizations. These groups include the Indiana Association of Regional Councils, the Indiana Economic Development Association, the Indiana Office of Small Business and Entrepreneurship, the Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA), the Indiana Office of the USDA Rural Development agency and more. Counties exploring the formation of a new regional organization are welcome to seek the assistance of PCRD as well.

Previous UIF Projects 

University Innovation Fellows Students: Jeffrey Ackerman and Ian Hamilton, Mission: To identify and help fill gaps for the enhancement and promotion of student entrepreneurship and innovation at Purdue What’s already happening on campus? View the Prezi presentation above to learn more about current entrepreneurial and innovation initiatives are on campus, and ideas for future projects.

Makers Club Purdue University Innovation Fellows (formerly Student Ambassador Program) Jeffrey Ackerman and Ian Hamilton held a recent Google hangout to discuss the program and their current work plan. Ian Hamilton is working to develop an entrepreneurship portal to help students learn about and make the best use of existing entrepreneurial resources at Purdue. Jeffrey Ackerman is working with the students from the Makers Club and members of the community to develop a large Maker Space at Purdue for the Purdue community to work on personal projects. This first hangout started a dialogue with a number of interested students and community members to get feedback on these initiatives. For more information, watch the hangout below:

Purdue University Landscape

Purdue University has several resources at various phases associated with Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Resources are included but limited to.

Academic Programs

• Lean Launchpad Course
• Certificate in Entrepreneurship program
• Technology Realization Course
• Senior Design Classes
• PREPP Fellowship

Student Organizations

• Purdue Mechatronics Club
• Makers Club
• AMET Club
• IEEE Club
• Entrepreneurship and Innovation Club
• Science and Engineering Business Club
• 3D Printing Club
• Graphic Design
• Hackers Club
• Industrial Design
• Purdue Government
• BoilerDriver Initiative

School Resources

• Office of Technology Commercialization
• Burton Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship
• Krach Leadership Center
• Kurtz Technology Center in the Research Park
• Startup Weekend
• TEDx
• Discovery Park
• Discovery Learning Research Center Design Lab
• BoilerMake Hackathon
• Anvil
• Foundry
• Business Plan Competitions
• Elevator Pitch Competition
• BoilerMaker Lab
• AFL Lab
• Innovation Funds

If you are a Purdue student, you can help make Purdue an even better place for student entrepreneurship! To find out how, get in touch with the current University Innovation Fellows @ Purdue and consider joining team: Dominick Lee, DominickLee@purdue.edu or Vignesha Bhamidi, CB@purdue.edu and former University Innovation Fellows @ Purdue namely Ian Hamilton, ihamilt@purdue.edu and Jeff Ackerman, ackermaj@purdue.edu. 

Purdue University Resources for Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Certificate for Entrepreneurship

Center for Entrepreneurship

Discovery Park Innovation

Purdue Foundry

Purdue Landscape Canvas by Jeff Ackerman and Ian Hamilton

Purdue Slidedeck by Jeff Ackerman and Ian Hamilton