University of Maryland Network for Entrepreneurs (UM-NET)

The University of Maryland has formed The University of Maryland Network of Entrepreneurs, which facilitates collaboration by integrating into the Network activities of the units of the University, extending from research to successful commercialization, involved in the entrepreneurship process.

The primary source of commercial ventures at the University comes from the extensive research base conducted by faculty and students, augmented by ideas and concepts that come from imaginative minds. The University provides faculty and students a wide variety of support mechanisms for transforming their ideas, concepts and technologies to commercial products and services through education, mentoring, incubation and networking with entrepreneurs, investors and service providers.

Support mechanisms include: residential program for undergraduate entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship courses, mentoring, business plan competitions, technology startup boot camp, small business assistance, patenting and licensing, mentoring for student and faculty startups, on-campus incubator for technology startups, jointly funded university/company R&D for new and improved products, networking events and investment sources.

The combination of these various activities creates a powerful and unique entrepreneurship culture that provides end-to-end support for faculty and student entrepreneurs.

The process begins with the Division of Research. The division is led by the Honorable Jacques S. Gansler. Dr. Gansler also heads the Sloan Biotechnology Industry Center. The Division of Research works closely with government researchers and the policy-makers who guide federal research initiatives. The division is responsible for more than $350 million in direct research funding that the University receives each year.

The subdivisions within this office include the Office of Research Administration and Advancement. ORAA is the pre- and post-award administration office for the University of Maryland. ORAA works to facilitate the submission of all sponsored project proposals on behalf of the university and helps researchers and business officers administer projects when contracts and grants are awarded to the University.

The second subdivision within the Division of Research is the Office of Technology Commercialization. OTC facilitates the transfer of cutting-edge technologies developed at the University of Maryland as well as at smaller universities in the University System of Maryland to business and industry. OTC develops and manages a high-quality portfolio of diverse technologies, ensures intellectual property rights through patents or copyrights and negotiates and executes licensing agreements in order to provide benefits to the university and the local economy.

The third subdivision within the Division of Research is the Small Business Development Center. The SBDC is dedicated to helping establish and expand businesses. It accomplishes this by providing a variety of management and technical assistance programs designed to help aspiring and existing small business owners.

The entrepreneurship process continues at the University of Maryland with the Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute. MTECH is the outreach arm of the A. James Clark School of Engineering. The office accelerates new ventures, spurs economic growth and brings university expertise to Maryland companies through technology entrepreneurship and research programs.

Within MTECH are a number of programs that contribute to the entrepreneurship process. The Hinman Campus Entrepreneurship Opportunities (Hinman CEOs) Program is a living/learning undergraduate entrepreneurship program. The VentureCatalyst Program is an entrepreneurship education and business plan competition. The VentureAccelerator Program provides entrepreneurial mentoring of faculty and students. Technology Advancement Program (TAP) is an incubator for technology-based start-up companies. MTECH also puts an emphasis on research through the Maryland Industrial Partnerships (MIPS) Program. This program helps companies find faculty research to enhance their competitiveness. The Biotechnology Program (Biotech) provides bioprocess scale-up, technical assistance and training. Maryland Technology Extension Service (MTES) provides manufacturing solutions for Maryland companies.

The Robert H. Smith School of Business is another key player for entrepreneurship at the University. As one of the first and leading entrepreneurial centers in the nation, the school's Dingman Center helps students and regional entrepreneurs develop and grow their businesses through services and programs. Also, although not technically a part of the business school, the New Markets Growth Fund is housed at Van Munching Hall with the Smith School of Business. The fund is a $20 million venture capital fund that makes equity investments and provides operational assistance to early-stage ventures and small to mid-sized high growth companies located in Maryland, Washington DC and Northern Virginia.

University Relations provides the final step in the entrepreneurship process. That office employs its considerable resources to assist the University in presenting its entrepreneurial programs to the business, government and media audiences. University Relations helps harness the University's assets and deploy them for the benefit and economic development of the state and region.

Entrepreneurship is unique in that it brings together all three parts of the University's mission -- instruction, research and service. Entrepreneurship is also crucial to achieving the state-mandated goal of national eminence. The following members (bolded) and their subdivisions of the entrepreneurship network provide services throughout the entrepreneurship cycle: from lab to market.