Arrowhead Center's Launch program seeks to expedite the transfer of technologies from campuses to commercial venues. By providing researchers and technologists business mentoring, market analyses, demonstration-validation services, and access to investment networks, Launch allows work on technological innovation and commercialization to occur on multiple fronts. The Launch model greatly reduces the time it takes for an invention or innovation to move from university laboratory/development settings to markets.

Launch initiates attention to commercial concerns during development, when technologies can be shaped to address existing and anticipated market needs. This design has been employed with great success at MIT’s Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation, UC San Diego’s von Liebig Center for Entrepreneurism and Technology, and the University City Science Center’s QED Proof-of-Concept Program.

Arrowhead Center began development of Launch for the New Mexico State University community in fall 2011. Evaluation of pre-applications will begin December 1, 2011. Launch staff will review pre-applications and choose full applicants – those who will make formal presentations to the Selection Committee in March 2012. Launch staff will assist full applicants to draft their application materials and structure their presentations.

While we will consider projects from any discipline or concentration, Launch will primarily focus on three areas, each with a broad-reaching, interdisciplinary scope and a market appropriate to campus and regional strengths and interests. These foci include:

• Clean Energy
• Security Infrastructure
• Bioscience

Launch will fund projects by supporting the commercialization and business activities required by the innovation to reach pre-seed funding stage.  Awardees will receive up to $25,000 cash to use towards development funding for a period of 6 months.  Awardees will be notified in March 2012.

Individual applicants must be NMSU faculty members. Team applicants must have at least one NMSU faculty member in their group. Student participation is welcomed and encouraged – Launch will offer students a unique opportunity to explore technology commercialization.