Changes

In order to push entrepreneurship at University of Iowa to the deeper ground, two innovation and commercialization bases, University of Iowa Research Foundation and University of Iowa Research Park were established to facilitate technology marketing and licensing. Iowa Centers for Enterprise, part of both bases, play a central role that connects JPEC to technology transfer office. One good example is, Iowa Medical Innovation Group (IMIG), a two – semester interdisplinary program that introduces students to all phases of medical device/technology development. Students from the colleges of Business, Engineering, Law, and Medicine collaborate in a real-world environment to identify a medical need, create a solution, and move it through the development and commercialization process.  Additionally, the Bedell Entrepreneurship Learning Laboratory (BELL) also provides services for technology transfer. 

With the great effort by University of Iowa entrepreneurial organizations, academics and industry have never been close like today. Many academics programs are deeply involved in the real-world industry operations. For example, the Business Consulting course gathers student teams to provide consulting services to industry members with operating issues, resulting in close relationships between students and clients. Students are often offered positions before graduation. On the other hand, many faculty teach in JPEC while still holding positions in industry, bringing firsthand experience into class.