In an interview with OSU’s onCampus, Vice President for Technology Commercalization Brian Cummings discusses his thoughts about the OSU technology landscape and ideas on how to commercialize this research.
“I’ve seen some of the most amazing ideas — new plant varieties, devices to sanitize eggs, new therapeutics, medical devices, software, clean energy, biofuels — we have too much brainpower, too much capacity for these ideas not to be making more hay from it.”
Cummings sees his office as a service center — not only for faculty, but also for students, colleges and units, the university as a whole and the state of Ohio.
“Honestly, it’s not really about the money, though if we do all the right things, the money will come,” he said. “It’s about building a robust program, developing students into the next generation of entrepreneurs who want and know how to take risks, connecting business and industry with the right brainpower.
“It’s a much more holistic approach than just grabbing someone’s invention and taking it to market. It’s about training the next generation, about finding new funding and resources at a time when it’s harder to get those federal dollars. It’s about getting a return on everyone’s investment and creating a robust economic engine, because great economies are built around great institutions.”