The University of Iowa (SUI) BioSciences Platform Development

Med-tech development is core to the University of Iowa area economic development success. Per the TEConomy summary, “In Iowa, technology development and startup activity is occurring around the convergence of University of Iowa biomedical research specialties and the University Hospitals’ clinical practice.” TEConomy went on to state, “Building interest and momentum with faculty to advance innovations along a commercialization pathway” was a key barrier that had to be overcome to realize the economic potential resident in Iowa.

The areas we are investing in during fiscal 2025 are the following.

 UI Ventures

UI Ventures supports innovative, research-driven startups on the University of Iowa campus through initiatives including GAP Funding (otherwise called seed funding) for early-stage product inventions and services, business support for early-stage University startups; on-going networking for faculty and staff from proven industry and startup leaders across the United States, including medtech entrepreneurs, and venture capitalists.

GAP Funding for early stage inventors has been established in College of Medicine, College of Engineering, Department of Nursing, College of Education, College of Dentistry and Pharmacy. These pivotal funds support pairing specific industry expertise with inventors to help advance ideas into viable prototypes (Protostudios) or business solutions to create investible startup companies; GAP (or seed funding) also serves to attract and retain entrepreneurial minded faculty to the university demonstrating that the University and the State of Iowa are here to support and encourage their entrepreneurial aspirations.

MADE and Protostudios

The SUI has created a one-of-a-kind program – MADE, a student managed manufacturing and e-commerce initiative whose mission is to bring innovative, needs based products to the market with the twin goals of solving problems and enhancing economic development as an extension of research and scholarship. The MADE program is almost entirely student run; developing real world experience for the next generation of entrepreneurs while offering UI faculty and staff a unique outlet encouraging the development of simple solutions to everyday tasks in surgery or clinical practice. 

Protostudios continues to grow its presense and reputation with high quality design support, 3D printing and prototyping services; Proto and MADE often work hand in hand with clients, manufacturers, entreprenuers and startup companies developing medical devices and other types of products. Keeping up with demand has required growing the student team, seasoned professional support while expanding capabilities to address a growing interest in biosciences product development.

New Integration Services via the Office of Innovation

The Iowa Innovation Leadership Fellowship training program for medical students, post docs and graduate students teaches the principles of biodesign and medical entreprenuerism. We teach trainees tools to create solutions to unmet needs in healthcare as well as helping us build an entrepreneurial ecosystem at the University by acting as innovation ambassadors scouting for unique inventions and preading the message of available resources and sharing success stories about Iowa entreprenuers.

We also created a Statewide Nursing Innovation program to give agency to nurses to pursue solutions to unmet needs in healthcare. Perhaps more than any other group, nurses constantly solve technical or process problems in their day to day work. We are empowering them to bring forward commercializable solutions. In 2025 we are expanding these initiatives as we build a more robust mechanism to communicate, share valuable stories and awareness and to collaborate across stakeholders.