ATIC: ASU launches new technology initiative for entrepreneurs

March 06, 2007

MESA, Ariz. — After entrepreneurs and start-ups have established a game plan for their business, where do they go to actually build their product ideas, especially when resources are lacking?<separator></separator>ASU’s College of Technology and Innovation at the Polytechnic campus in collaboration with the Office of the Vice President for Research and Economic Affairs has launched the Advanced Technology Innovation Collaboratory (ATIC) to provide a solution to this challenge. ATIC takes entrepreneurs’ innovations from paper to an actual prototype. <separator></separator>ATIC is the latest venture to help innovative entrepreneurs in the greater Phoenix area leverage ASU’s assets and ideally complements ASU Technopolis’ entrepreneurial education, coaching, and networking services to entrepreneurs in the Valley.<separator></separator>“Many innovators and entrepreneurs in the Valley lack the resources to take a genuine product idea from its design concept to a real ‘hands-on’ prototype model,” says Bulent Bicer, ASU’s senior officer for Corporate Relations. “The Advanced Technology Innovation Collaboratory provides engineering, design and product development services to entrepreneurs and small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) who have a solid, innovative product idea.”<separator></separator>With faculty and students up-to-date on cutting edge technologies as well as a vast array of technology disciplines, from software to manufacturing to graphics design and marketing, ATIC helps entrepreneurs take their conceptual designs to an actual manufactured prototype to be able to move to the next step — commercialization.<separator></separator>Dr. Anshuman Razdan, director of ATIC explains, “Product development is a complex process and that makes ASU a natural ally to SMEs. ATIC brings ASU’s knowledge capital, access, network and project management under one umbrella to make it easy for SME’s to work with ASU.”<separator></separator>ATIC’s first clients include a local small enterprise, Kutta Consulting, Inc., that received a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant to provide Incident Commanders (ICs) with 2D/3D imaging visualization tools necessary in tracking where first responders, like firefighters, are located in a building once they go in to respond to an emergency. The tool will help ICs direct resources more efficiently and effectively, lowering the risk of loss and saving lives.<separator></separator>Another local small enterprise benefiting from ATIC is Nucleic Solutions, a company founded by a nationally recognized ASU Biochemistry Senior James Cronican with the help of ASU’s Edson Student Entrepreneur Initiative. ATIC has been working with Cronican to design and create a prototype of his idea of an automated DNA /RNA extraction system that isolates biomolecules for biotechnology research and development applications.<separator></separator>“This program not only benefits the entrepreneurs, but also ASU students. It’s a great way for students at the Polytechnic campus to gain hands-on experience on real life projects and work face-to-face with clients,” adds Timothy Lindquist, interim dean of the College of Technology and Innovation. “The experience sharpens their engineering technology knowledge, and builds their communication and project management skills.”<separator></separator>While ATIC is part of the College of Technology and Innovation, it is intended to serve as a collaborative focal point, bringing in faculty from any program area at ASU’s Polytechnic campus and other campuses for their expert input. Potential collaborators include engineering, business, health and wellness, printing, electronics, software, computers and even alternative energy.<separator></separator>For more information about ASU’s Advanced Technology Innovation Collaboratory, contact Jane Laux, (480-727-1647), <a href="mailto:jane.laux@asu.edu" title="mailto:jane.laux@asu.edu">jane.laux@asu.edu</a> or visit <a href="http://atic.asu.edu/" title="http://atic.asu.edu">http://atic.asu.edu</a>.