University of Montana & Montana State University Tech Transfer

Research in this area by Montana State University and the resulting startups are contributing to a rapidly growing unique industry in the state.

C3 will provide resources to all the state’s public universities and colleges.

"The UM I-Corps Site will capitalize on the success of the Blackstone LaunchPad powered by Techstars entrepreneurship program at the University of Montana," said Blackstone LaunchPad Director Paul Gladen, who will serve as one of the UM principal investigators.

Leading a research team, the MSU professors invented a novel, rapid, highly sensitive method to detect biological molecules that can indicate the presence of a particular type of injury or disease within a human body.

And now, after helping launch scores of new tech companies over 12 years, the U operation has been named a finalist for an international award recognizing the best academic technology transfer units in the world.

It’s a proven model, and one that works very well, averaging 34-37 percent annual returns over more than two decades.

"One little square inch of this concrete will carry about 20,000 pounds," said Michael Berry, a professor in the Department of Civil Engineering. That’s about five times stronger than regular concrete, he said.

"We want to see good science inform regulatory decision-making," said Paul Sturman, a research professor and industrial coordinator at the Center for Biofilm Engineering.