University Innovation Showcase

CED's University Innovation Showcase, in partnership with NC State University, NC IDEA and the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, will connect university innovators with industry leaders. This event will provide 5-8 NC State University researchers the ability to showcase their technologies and findings to an audience of investors, entrepreneurs and corporate level executives. Attendees will hear from top researchers at local universities and be provided the first look at cutting edge technologies.

Click here to register online.

Purpose:

NC State supports growth of industry clusters by engaging faculty, staff, students, and facilities of the University in innovation-based economic development. The wealth of “smart people doing interesting things,” as described by Dr. John Silvia, Chief Economist of Wachovia Corporation, contributes to the economic growth and well being of our region and state. The primary purpose of the Innovation Showcase is to match near-commercialization innovations/technologies with investors and capital to promote and support start-up entrepreneurial companies.

Why Attend:

• Additional innovations/technologies licensed from NC State
• New sponsored research and fee-for-service contracts
• Greater availability of capital and other resources to support NC State start-up companies
• Engagement of faculty, staff and students through funded projects
• New partner leads for Centennial Campus
• Increased awareness of NC State’s economic development contributions and impacts

Audience:

• Angel Investors
• Venture Capitalists
• Serial entrepreneurs
• Industry Veterans

Agenda:
5 p.m. - 5:15 p.m. Opening Remarks
5:15 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. An NC State Success Story: Laam Science
5:30 p.m. - 7 p.m. University Innovation Showcase
7 p.m. - 8 p.m. Networking Reception

Innovations Showcase Includes:

Novel Fuel Injection Device
Adaptive technology from the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering promises to improve internal combustion engine efficiency and reduce pollutant emissions. The device can be adapted to internal combustion engines requiring liquid fuel injection. Presenter: Dr. Gregory Buckner is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at NC State.

New Generation Metal Foam
High-strength, ultra-light material combining the advantages of metal matrix composites with metallic foams which show 5 to 6 times greater strength to density ratio and over 7 times higher energy absorption than that of currently available metallic foams. Presenter: Dr. Afsaneh Rabiei is an Assistant Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and an Associate Faculty Member of Biomedical Engineering at NC State.

Optical Fiber-Sensors
Improved sensors and devices that can be integrated into substrates to form robust and sensitive evanescent environmental sensors (e.g. chemical, biological & temperature sensors). This novel optical fiber could also be used to form opto-electronic devices such as switches, modulators, and interferometers. Presenter: Dr. Anuj Dhawan holds a Ph.D. from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at NC State.

Conversion of Cellulose to Alcohol
Technique to change the structure of cellulose utilizing atmospheric plasma rather than current costly methods such as acid hydrolysis and enzymatic hydrolysis. This novel, cost efficient method can be used to provide alternative fuel sources at a lower cost than is currently utilized. Presenter: Dr. Jerome Cuomo is a Distinguished Professor in the Materials Science and Engineering Department at NC State.

Groundbreaking Plasma Non-Catalytic Synthesis
Technology describing direct production of basic chemicals (e.g. NO₂) from a 60-100 watt AC plasma unit, eliminating the use of high temperatures, high pressures and expensive catalysts. The simple apparatus that generates NO₂ for the production of nitric acid using air as the starting material may be modified for other gaseous chemistries. This technology improves sustainability, economic scalability and efficiency for the production of industrial chemicals. Presenter: Dr. Jerome Cuomo is a Distinguished Professor in the Materials Science and Engineering Department at NC State.

Advanced Textile Performance & Function through Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD)
Innovative processing techniques bond thin surface films (by ALD) onto textile materials resulting in fabrics with improved moisture barrier properties. Aluminum oxide, titanium nitride, and cobalt are examples of materials that can be deposited to form ultrathin conformal coatings using this novel process. Presenters: Dr. Gregory Parsons is a Full Professor in the Chemical Engineering Department at NC State. Dr. Kevin Hyde is a recent Ph.D. graduate from the Department of Materials Science at NC State.

Targeted Drug Delivery
An innovative smart inhaler system developed at NC State enables safer and more efficient treatment of lung cancer and other respiratory diseases by targeting specific areas of the lung and avoiding upper oral airways and healthy tissue. The device has been prototyped and demonstrates selective deposition of drug aerosols in a model lung system. This platform technology may be expanded to develop other novel oral intake methods for pharmaceuticals such as insulin. Presenter: Dr. Stefan Seelecke is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at NC State.

Unique Electroactive Thermoplastic Elastomer Technologies
Advancements to the formulation and preparation of thermoplastic elastomer gels (TPEG) for electrical actuation can be applied to the development of artificial muscles, smart structures, aerospace applications, or robotics. Presenter: Dr. Richard J. Spontak is a Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at NC State.

For more information on NC IDEA please visit - www.ncidea.org

For more information on North Carolina Biotechnology Center please visit - www.ncbiotech.org

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