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| UNH Innovation | |
|---|---|
| Name | UNH Innovation |
| Established | 2018 |
| Location | Durham, New Hampshire, United States |
| Parent institution | University of New Hampshire |
| Director | Christopher Clementz |
UNH Innovation UNH Innovation is the technology transfer and economic development office affiliated with the University of New Hampshire. It manages invention disclosure, patenting, licensing, startup formation, and industry partnerships to translate research from campus laboratories into commercial products and services. The office connects faculty, students, and external stakeholders across academic, private, and public institutions to accelerate technology commercialization.
UNH Innovation traces its antecedents to earlier University of New Hampshire technology commercialization efforts and institutional centers integrating research offices, entrepreneurship initiatives, and corporate relations. Its formation consolidated functions previously distributed among the UNH Research Foundation, campus offices associated with Hollis, and units supporting NSF-funded programs such as the National Science Foundation's I-Corps. The organization evolved alongside regional economic development actors including the New Hampshire Department of Business and Economic Affairs, New Hampshire Innovation Research Center, and initiatives connected to the U.S. Economic Development Administration. Milestones include partnerships with federal laboratories like Oak Ridge National Laboratory, cooperative agreements with the National Institutes of Health, and alignment with state higher-education strategies such as those advanced by the New England Board of Higher Education.
UNH Innovation operates under the oversight of the University of New Hampshire administration and coordinates with academic leadership including deans from the Thompson School of Applied Science, College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, and Paul College of Business and Economics. Governance includes advisory input from external boards featuring members from corporations such as Boeing, Raytheon Technologies, and Hypertherm, as well as investors from firms like General Catalyst and Seacoast Capital. The office interfaces with accreditation and compliance entities including the Association of University Technology Managers and adheres to federal statutes exemplified by the Bayh–Dole Act. Leadership engages with regional authorities including the New Hampshire Business Finance Authority and municipal partners such as the Portsmouth economic development offices.
UNH Innovation manages intellectual property portfolios across domains represented by faculty and centers such as the Complex Systems Research Center, Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space, and the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station. The office supports patent prosecution with external firms and in-house counsels who coordinate filings at the United States Patent and Trademark Office and international offices including the European Patent Office. It facilitates sponsored research agreements with agencies like the Department of Energy, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Collaborative projects have linked investigators to multidisciplinary programs such as Clean Energy Technology Center, Cooperative Institute for Research, and industry consortia represented by Advanced Manufacturing Office partners.
UNH Innovation runs and supports programs that incubate startups founded by students, faculty, and alumni, often in collaboration with incubators and accelerators such as TECHstars, MassChallenge, and Green Launching Pad. It works with campus entrepreneurship programs like InnovateNH, student-run groups including Enactus, and business competitions modeled after the MIT $100K Entrepreneurship Competition and Rice Business Plan Competition. Startups spun out include ventures that have engaged investors from Seacoast Angels, AngelList, and venture firms like Bessemer Venture Partners and Kapor Capital. The office links founders to mentorship networks drawing advisors from Harvard Business School, Sloan School of Management, and regional entrepreneurship ecosystems such as New Hampshire High Technology Council.
UNH Innovation leverages campus infrastructure including research laboratories in the Paul College of Business and Economics, wet labs in the Durham science complex, and maker spaces affiliated with UNH Makerspace and the Dimond Library. It forges partnerships with regional entities like University System of New Hampshire, Dartmouth College, and state innovation hubs such as Innovation Center of New England. Corporate partnerships include collaborations with GE Aviation, Schneider Electric, and IBM Research. The office coordinates use of specialized facilities including the Hodgdon Hall fabrication shops, shared instrumentation linked to the National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure, and computing resources connected to XSEDE.
UNH Innovation measures regional impact through metrics tied to job creation, startup formation, licensing revenues, and sponsored research expenditures, reporting outcomes to stakeholders such as the New Hampshire Governor's Office and the Economic Development Administration. Community engagement includes workforce development initiatives with local school districts, partnerships with workforce boards like NH Works, and collaborations with nonprofit organizations such as Local First and Seacoast United. The office participates in regional planning with entities like the Seacoast Region Chamber of Commerce, municipal redevelopment agencies in Portsmouth and Manchester, and federal programs administered by the Small Business Administration.
UNH Innovation and affiliated inventors have been recognized in programs administered by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, the National Academy of Inventors, and awards such as the R&D 100 Awards. Notable projects include technology transfers stemming from research with collaborators like NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, commercialization of materials science inventions linked to Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and health-technology spinouts that partnered with the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. The office has supported grant-winning proposals for programs such as NIH SBIR and Department of Energy ARPA-E awards.