UNIVERSITY OF AKRON RESEARCH FOUNDATION

The nonprofit University of Akron Research Foundation (UARF) has multiple objectives, one of which is to aid technology-based economic development by supporting and commercializing university research. To achieve this, the organization promotes, encourages and provides assistance to the research activities of university faculty, staff and students. UARF’s approach is both comprehensive—it can assist with university startups, quickly negotiate licenses and hold equity in spinout companies—and strategic; for instance, the organization markets intellectual property and manages private sponsored research.

In addition to these services, UARF operates the Akron Innovation Campus to provide office space for University of Akron collaborators and host industry executives as advisors. UARF sponsors the ARCHAngel Network, a regional forum that introduces investors to market-driven, technology-based investment opportunities within Northeast Ohio. Through the Ohio Research Foundation, UARF also offers its expertise in evaluating patents, negotiating licensing agreements, identifying potential collaborators and supporting entrepreneurial enterprises to other universities and colleges. The ultimate aim is creating economic growth and underscoring the universities’ potential to effect change and create opportunity for the region.