Friday morning last week, three teams from the Technology Commercialization Academy at the University of Southern Indiana presented their final products after completing the 11 week program. The products included air marshaling gloves, an all-in-one household management app and a networking app. The goal of the academy is to help students get real world experience, work with diverse team members and help transform the local area through developing new projects.
Manager of USI Technology Commercialization Jason Salstrom says the academy has multiple benefits.
“I think it matters for two things. One is helping our economy become more innovative. So recognizing that there are resources around here, the USI and elsewhere in the region, to help companies be more innovative. To help them move new products to market. To diversify their portfolios. Also though, to help prepare students. Our students learn kinda cutting edge innovation tools and lean product development; these type of things. So they can go out into our workforce and be ready to contribute and make companies more innovative.”
Even though the program has ended, students like Josh Hazelwood plan to continue marketing their product. Hazelwood says, “You don’t want to work on something like in class and that just be the end of it. Once this program’s over there’s actually viable products that have come out of this and people will be able to start businesses on of these things and have this support their lives.”
Hazelwood was a member of the air marshaling gloves project and he along with fellow team members are looking at going to trade shows to market their product. For projects that do not have students able to continue marketing, the academy will look for ways to market the product to local businesses to use and develop further.
