LANSING – The Michigan Strategic Fund approved extended funding for “Train the Trainers,” a program managed by the University of Michigan’s Center for Entrepreneurship that trains entrepreneurs, researchers and inventors, while expanding mentoring and teaching of commercialization strategies.
The $200,000 grant provides additional funding for the two-year old program. The training works in partnership with the Michigan Translational Research and Commercialization (MTRAC) program, which supports the acceleration of commercially viable advanced applied material technologies developed by university researchers.
“As we continue to expand and deepen our opportunities for research to transfer from our universities to commercial application, it is crucial that we continue to provide training resources,” said Denise Graves University Relations Director, a division of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC). “This program will support our current MTRAC programs and be vital to our future innovation hubs as we implement the program statewide,” said Graves.
The grant extension follows two successful years of the program’s achievements, including more than 450 participants and 90 instructors from 15 institutions that has resulted in the creation of 14 startups and over 30 jobs in the state.
“Over the past two years, we have had the opportunity to support innovators across the state who are working hard to establish Michigan as a leader in commercializing advanced technology,” said Jonathan Fay, U-M CFE Managing Director. “We are eager to continue this work over the next year and beyond.”
The program milestones put forth by U-M CFE demonstrate support for MEDC’s Entrepreneur and Innovation initiative, which aims to establish Michigan as the place to create and grow business by providing high-tech start-up companies with access to a variety of critical resources, such as funding and expert counsel, from ideation to maturation.
For more on MEDC Entrepreneurship & Innovation visit michiganbusiness.org. For more on U-M CFE visit cfe.umich.edu.
