Center for Collaborative Innovation

About CCI

The Center for Collaborative Innovation (CCI) was founded through the Elevate Nexus Higher Education Grant. CCI will strengthen UIndy’s engineering entrepreneurial program and promote innovation-driven entrepreneurial activities across the UIndy campus through a collaborative innovation framework. The CCI employs a four-pronged approach:

1. Strengthen the R.B. Annis School of Engineering (RBASOE) entrepreneurial program of the DesignSpine
2. Promote innovation-driven entrepreneurial activities across the UIndy campus through a collaborative innovation framework
3. Integrate entrepreneurial learning and support minority and economically disadvantaged high school and middle school students’ participation in STEM-focused summer camps at UIndy
4. Ensure continuity and growth by involving other stakeholders and partners within and outside the university

The Elevate Nexus grant will support the existing engineering entrepreneurial program of the DesignSpine in the R.B. Annis School of Engineering (RBASOE) so we can cultivate innovation-driven entrepreneurs and provide the avenue and resources for them to take their ideas to the next level through the Elevate Origins Pre-seed Accelerator Program. We currently have multidisciplinary engineering teams who work on their ideas and products for nine months with mentors from industry during their junior year. We will be able to help teams who are willing to continue with their ideas after the junior year training transition into the Elevate Origins. Funds will be used for customer discovery, prototyping, creating promotional videos, and attending conferences as well as supporting other activities of the DesignSpine. 

During the Business Pitch Competition held every spring, engineering students make competitive pitches for projects they designed and prototyped before an audience of faculty and industry mentors. Industry partners have included Huntington Bank, Citizens Energy, Anthem, Easter Seals Crossroads, and others.

Building a Collaborative Innovation Framework

During the 2019-20 academic year, Dr. Marcos Hashimoto, professor of entrepreneurship in the School of Business, sent one of his students to Dr. David Olawale, professor of industrial and systems engineering at the R.B. Annis School of Engineering. The student had an idea for an innovative saving and payment system to help low-income families save and pay their utility bill on time while grocery shopping. The idea required some technical (engineering and software) skills which she lacks and which can be prohibitively expensive for her to pay for. The CCI provides the needed expertise and resources that students, faculty, and staff may need to explore and develop their ideas (Figure 1).

Figure 1: Overview of the framework for the UIndy’s Center for Collaborative Innovation (CCI)

Available Resources

The resources available to chosen teams and individuals include prototyping equipment such as 3D printers, laser cutters, computer numerical control (CNC) machines, and a water jet cutter. They will also have access to our pool of innovation fellows with expertise in marketing and financial analysis; art and design; product branding; engineering design; manufacturing; and computer science.

Innovation Fellows

We currently have five UIndy Innovation Fellows (including the program coordinator), who are faculty or staff with expertise in the following areas: 

In addition, there will be provision for these Innovation Fellows to be supported by student employees (to be known as Innovation Associates), as needed.

CCI Incubator

The CCI provides students and faculty with a training and incubator program to help selected individuals and teams develop and explore their entrepreneurial ideas. They will go through an 8-week entrepreneurial program customized to their needs. In addition, experienced faculty and staff will help them develop their idea, service, or product. Through the Elevate Nexus Higher Education grant, equipment and materials will be provided as needed. After the 8-week program, they will also have the opportunity to proceed to the Elevate Nexus Accelerator program with the potential of competing for support for up to $200,000.

Based on input from the team of Innovation Fellows, innovation-driven ideas will be selected to participate in the UIndy CCI Incubator program so as to access resources available through the CCI. This will comprise access to relevant faculty needed for testing and developing the idea, as well as resources such as 3D printers, laser cutters, etc. The key activities that teams in the CCI Incubator program will engage in are customer discovery and market analysis using a business model canvas; developing presentation decks & branding materials; as well as prototyping of the minimal viable product as applicable. The deliverables after going through the program will include completed business model canvas, presentation deck/video; and MVP prototype as applicable. Participating individuals and teams will devote 8 weeks (with 4 bi-weekly teaching/clinic time) each semester for two semesters to the program so as to allow sufficient time for customer discovery and prototyping as needed.

Application

The CCI incubator is held throughout the fall and spring (winter) semester. Applications for the cohort starting in fall of each year opens on July 1.

Center for Collaborative Innovation (CCI) Incubator

The Center for Collaborative Innovation (CCI) Incubator at UIndy provides students, staff and faculty with critical training and resources to help you develop and explore your entrepreneurial ideas.  Accepted individuals and teams will go through 8 weeks (with 4 bi-weekly teaching/clinic time) each semester for two semesters entrepreneurial program customized to your needs. In addition, experienced faculty and staff will help you develop your idea, service, or product. Through the Elevate Nexus Higher Education grant, equipment and materials will be provided as needed. After completing the program, you will also have the opportunity to proceed to the Elevate Nexus Accelerator program with the potential of competing for support for up to $200,000. 

Testimonial from a past cohort participant

"I was very naive coming into this program. CCI opened my mind and eyes to what is necessary to bring my ideas to fruition. I knew I did not really have a head for business. I had planned on eventually hiring a marketing team or the like to help me manage the aspects I struggle with. I am still not completely comfortable with the numbers, but I am glad to have a much better understanding of what is expected. I feel a little less lost, and as I tackle each task, I feel a bit more confident that I am able to do this myself. I will likely still hire someone to manage this in the future, (I certainly plan on developing my other Ideas) but at least I will know what is going on."

Contact: Dr. Suranga Dharmarathne (dharmarathnes@uindy.edu)

Growing Community Partnerships

External support from community partners will be sought through the UIndy’s Office of Advancement and Pro Edge Center. Community partners such as CPA firms, intellectual property (IP) protection lawyers, marketing, and design firms will provide additional support in terms of mentorship and professional service hours. We already have a relationship with a leading intellectual property (IP) firm in Indianapolis (Mr. Charles P. Schmal of Woodard, Emhardt, Henry, Reeves & Wagner LLP) that has been providing in-kind support by providing IP training to our engineering entrepreneurial program. Funds from the Elevate Nexus grant will be allocated to sustain the operations of the CCI for two academic years in order to provide sufficient time to build support for sustainable operations, growth and impact. 

Summer Camps

CCI is also providing resources to support the integration of entrepreneurial mindset learning in the R.B. Annis School of Engineering summer camps for high school students. It will also enable minority and or economically disadvantaged middle and high school students to participate in the STEM-focused summer camps organized by the R.B. Annis School of Engineering with the goal of exposing them to STEM and encouraging them to pursue STEM disciplines. The camp will expose the students to the entrepreneurial mindset curriculum, engineering concepts, CAD skills, and prototyping. The R.B. Annis School of Engineering has hosted summer camps concentrating on radio-controlled car optimization and the design and fabrication of electric go-karts.

In The News

• 2021 UIndy Engineering 3D Printing Summer Camp: Developing the Next Generation of Makers
• University of Indianapolis R.B. Annis School of Engineering Receives 2020 Elevate Nexus Higher Education Grant to Boost Entrepreneurship Programming