Grant: Science to Business Program

The need for business-literate scientists, as well as science and technology entrepreneurs, has become a national priority as witnessed by the many federal and provincial initiatives in the field of technology commercialization (see, for example, the 2007 Federal Science and Technology Strategy). This need is especially acute in Alberta, whose $178 million Provincial Commercialization Strategy seeks to diversify the economy beyond its reliance on natural resources. University of Alberta's explicit focus on developing new entrepreneurial opportunities toward provincial and national growth has spurred our many research outputs in health, biomedical engineering, and biochemistry. Our core objective is to develop a talent pool of entrepreneurially minded and technically savvy individuals, establishing a foundation for the growth of new industry activity, including a vibrant small- and medium-enterprise sector committed to health and biotechnology innovations. Thus, via the creation of start-ups or by working with established high-tech companies, our program seeks to contribute to the acceleration of commercialization outcomes by addressing gaps at the science-business interface. To this end, the Alberta MBA Program in Technology Commercialization admits only a small number of students each year, and is designed for those with academic or professional backgrounds in health, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, or nanotechnology. Students in the Technology Commercialization specialization gain the competencies to manage technology innovation and commercialization processes and to generate high technology business plans and ideas. Our students develop the knowledge and skills to identify technological opportunities, facilitate technology innovation and development, manage intellectual property, and build new organizations and markets.