There is a huge amount of innovation taking place within academia today that too often falls victim to the ever present “valley of death.” Too often, technologists look to the commercial aspects and team building needs associated with technology commercialization and entrepreneurship too late in the development process. DESCA’s goal is to reach and assist technologists at the earliest possible stage with market-driven insights, introduction to market and commercialization concepts, and connectivity to industry and ecosystem resources that help minimize the effects of the “valley of death.”<br/>DESCA programs focus on helping technologists align their innovations to the practical, financial and commercial interests of industry and/or investors by helping them identify commercial opportunities that require less capital yet can provide nearer term cash flow and profit without losing focus on larger, commodity-scale opportunities. These smaller, incremental wins and product/market fits are often not considered as technologists seek funding through SBIR or STTR yet are deeply relevant as innovators seek to validate not only their technology but their team. DESCA is also profoundly aware that entrepreneurial success cannot happen within a vacuum and that the needs of entrepreneurs in this challenging space extend beyond technology validation to a fully supportive ecosystem that includes connecting technologies to academic support, service providers, government support, funding and industry partners.

Tech2Market: Closing the gap between academic research and technology commercialization

ACS Fall 2021

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.