ANN ARBOR – Michigan
entrepreneurs have a option for getting products to market faster, thanks to a
matching funds program called Small Company Innovation Program, Technology and
Commercialization Assistance (SCIP/TCA; pronounced “skip T-C-A”).
In collaboration
with all of Michigan’s 15 public universities, Michigan startups can access
university resources including faculty expertise, use of laboratory equipment,
testing services, etc., andthe university’s indirect costs are
waived so the entrepreneur’s dollar contribution (typically a 1:1 match up
to $40,000) goes 100 percent into the project.
We’re
excited to offer this program to Michigan companies and expect to help
companies overcome a common challenge faced by small companies and
entrepreneurs – getting research needs met so they can get to commercialization
faster. Often, universities have the expertise and facilities that the company
needs, but small companies may not be able to afford the cost of conducting
research at a university. With SCIP/TCA, Michigan companies reap the benefits
of working with a university and we increase the number of university/industry
collaborations across the state.
Some
examples of university resources that may be utilized are:
Materials
Science and Engineering Department at Michigan Tech
Smart
Sensors and Integrated Microsystems (SSIMS) Program at Wayne State
Sleep and
Learning Laboratory at Michigan State
Independent
Testing Lab at Saginaw Valley
Lurie
Nanofabrication Facility at University of Michigan Ann Arbor
Product
Development Center at Lake Superior State
For more
information about the program, click on www.michigancrn.org/scip/index.php.
By Steve
Wilson, Program Director,University
of Michigan’s Technology and Commercialization Assistance
This story
was published in the Michigan Venture Capital Association eNewsletter. For more
information, click on http://www.michiganvca.org/
