Priorities:University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Student Priorities

MnDrive

The University of Minnesota is blessed with an impressive array of resources. Recently, area leaders have charged the university with the task of better aligning those resources to pursue opportunites in key emerging industries and make it easier for enterprising students and faculity to access what they need.

Called MnDrive, the project has secured initial funding that will be used to build out infrastructure to support new innovation within four areas of research:

• Robotics, sensors, and advanced manufacturing.
• Global food ventures.
• Advanced industry, conserning our environment.
• Discoveries and treatments for brain conditions.

Moreover, a central database of resources is being created that students and staff can access online. Nationally-recognized faculty are being hired, seed grants are being allocated to recruit fellows, and equipment and laboratory space is being established to support and expand new research under the program.

From the student perspective, seeing this through is our first big priority. We believe MnDrive lays the foundation for innovation and entrepreneurship well after we are graduated. As such, we are encouraging students to make their voices heard throughout the development of the program. As University Innovation Fellows, we lay a base for student support, one of the key milestones listed below. As the project is starting to ramp up, the current Fellows are already active in the selection of the faculity that will run the program and the planning of how MnDrive will come together. 

Milestones

• Obtain backing from faculity in the College of Science & Engineering, the Carlson School fo Management, the College of Design, etc.
• Obtain a base for student support, leveraging the University Innovation Fellows. 
• Have tangible events on campus.
• Begin website development.
• Create a central makerspace. 

As we continue to develop the program, we will not limit research or our capacity to innovate. Working closely with our partners throughout the state and the university, we will develop a solid framework that rewards discovery and enhances partnerships to drive results.

We welcome your participation in this new endeavor and are excited to see what we can accomplish together. Visit our Contact page for a list of key MnDRIVE contacts at the university.

See our Youtube Video outlining the MnDrive Initiative: http://youtu.be/hPiRXjnUiHY

Invention Contest

As a student innovator and entrepreneur, one of the most difficult things is taking that first initiative to get your idea out into the vast array of resources on campus. Much of what the University Innovation Fellows will be focusing on is the ease of access of these types of resources. However, many technically minded innovators may still feel that the intrinsic motivation that they currently have will not be enough. That is where an invention competition comes in. Much like 'Startup Weekend,' the invention contest would be a weekend-long ideating, prototyping, validating, and pitching marathon. These events are captivating, and really foster the spirit of I&E in their participants. As a UIF, beginning to host an event like this would be a huge challenge, but one that would prove to be well worth the struggle. A contest like this could be the foot-in-the-door for all of the other I&E resources that the U provides.

Milestones

• Formulate a precise canvas for the competition for presenting to sponsors/partners
• Obtain faculty backing
• Begin to gain student support
• Land corporate sponsorships
• Find space to host (maker/creative spaces)
• Launch a pilot event
• Provide a lasting framework that future leaders can use to continue the event

Student Group Campus Converge

The University of Minensota has over 900 student groups. Some are more active than others but all engage students in some way that improves the student experience. Some groups even have tangible affects in the area of Innovation and Entreprneurship. The idea behind a campus converge would be to bring leaders from the most prominent or high potential groups together so that they can learn about eachother's initiatives and find ways to improve their operations and collaborate.

The student's haven't directly been asking for an event like this. It's hard to conceive the potential of such an event when one is so focused on their own student group. Still, the chance to get passionate peopel talking about what they're passionate about seems like a high potential opportunity and it's one we'd like to pursue. 

As UIF, our job would be to figure out what groups would most benefit from meeting eachother and then arranging for the actual event. Costs are minimal and the real obstacles lie in convincing student leaders that they have something to learn from working with others accross campus.

Central Maker Space

The University of Minnesota currently has several small, dedicated makerspaces spread across the campus (outlined in the campus wiki page). These provide resources to a select few students who utilize them for their coursework or capstone projects. When it comes to prototyping resources available to students who aren't in a class that has access to these creative spaces, finding resources like this is near impossible. What the University of Minnesota is eventually moving towards, in summation of all the different collaborative programs and initiatives at work right now, is a massive, centrally located creativity and maker laboratory. 

MN-Drive has this as one of their end-all goals. Many student groups who are jockeying for space see it as a potential relief of the competitive pressure. Students who have ideas that do not align with their coursework see it as an opportunity that a large university such as the UMN SHOULD provide. The space would include a large state-of-the-art prototyping lab, fully staffed by experienced TA's, reservable creative conference rooms for students, dedicated student group rooms for large innovative student groups, faculty offices for those who align with the student innovative initiative, digital liberaries for patent research and further mentorship in the community, and an atmosphere that spurs innovation.

Allocating the resources and finding the right people to get this done is a huge task, but it is a long time coming. As University Innovation Fellows, we hope to connect all the minds and opinions hoping for this already around campus together to make this happen.