Innovation from the lab to the world
PURDUE UNIVERSITY IS HELPING ITS RESEARCHERS BRING TRANSFORMATIVE DISCOVERIES TO MARKET
For a leading research institution like Purdue University, it’s one thing to make new discoveries in the lab, but it’s another to use them to create realworld solutions. Purdue knows when discoveries remain within laboratory walls, the world misses out on the chance to progress.
“At Purdue, we are driven by one thing, and that’s outcomes that change the world,” says Brooke Beier, senior vice president of commercialization for Purdue Innovates, the university’s resident commercialization and startup network.
More than 400 invention disclosures have emerged from Purdue during the past year, illustrating the university’s commitment to fostering innovations that have impact. From finding new ways to treat disease to discovering treatments for nonhealing wounds, Purdue’s expertise in bringing world-changing ideas to life makes it a natural selection for Fast Company ’s 2023 Brands That Matter.
AN INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM
Purdue Innovates is a network that supports intellectual property development by faculty, students, and alumni. The initiative, spearheaded by Beier, Purdue President Mung Chiang, and Purdue Research Foundation President Brian Edelman, pulls from Purdue’s 150-plus-years legacy of addressing society’s toughest challenges. This innovation-first approach is unique in its focus on the commercialization of new inventions, connecting the work of Purdue researchers with external organizations that can use it.
“Research-minded institutions often become focused on publications and not necessarily the long-term goal of how that research ultimately turns into a product and gets to market,” Beier says.
Purdue Innovates patent experts work with business development and licensing professionals to create patents for new inventions. A streamlined process allows researchers to easily license their own research and start their own companies, removing common barriers to commercialization. And Purdue’s on-campus collaborations with more than 35 companies allow researchers to directly meet the needs of corporate partners.
Thanks to this holistic approach, Purdue was ranked No. 4 in the U.S. for the number of patents granted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in 2022, behind the University of California, MIT, and the University of Texas. During the past year, Purdue researchers have been issued more than 250 patents.
OUTCOMES WITH AN IMPACT
Surrounding Purdue researchers with commercialization experts allows them to immerse themselves in their work without worrying about the many intricacies of business law, patents, and product marketing. This approach has produced transformative results in a wide array of fields.
In 2021, Philip Low, a Purdue biochemistry researcher, developed a drug to treat malaria with nearly 100% effectiveness. During the past year, Low has been working with Purdue Innovates to introduce the drug to India and Vietnam at just one dollar per pill.
University researchers are also developing a flexible patch that treats nonhealing wounds, which afflict more than 5 million people in the U.S. The patch delivers oxygen and medicine to the wound via microneedles. Last year, the innovation team was granted almost half a million dollars to bring it to commercial use.
Developments like these might seem remarkable, but Beier says they’re par for the course. “Purdue is home to passionate, entrepreneurial-minded faculty, staff, students, alumni, and commercialization partners,” she says. “Uniting them through the Purdue ecosystem allows them to meet their goals and bring world-changing technologies to market.”