The Office of Innovation & Commercialization was developed in 2021 to unify all of the innovation and commercialization activities at the university to comprehensively support the campus and community. Through the office and its partners, all types of resources are available to support innovation development at every point along the path to commercialization and broader societal benefit. We encourage you to reach out if you think we may be able to help you or if you are just curious about what we do.
What We Do
Our Spaces
Center for Energy and Economic Diversification
The Center for Energy and Economic Diversification, also known as the CEED, is a hub for innovation and commercialization in the region and houses a business incubator, coworking facilities, event space, classrooms, laboratories, a makerspace, and the Small Business Development Center.
UTPB Makerspaces
Innovation Lab @ Dunagan + Prototype Lab @ CEED
UTPB now has two makerspaces located on campus - the Innovation Lab @ Dunagan Library and the Prototype Lab @ CEED, which are both equipped with 3D printers, 3D scanners, laser cutter/engraver, vinyl cutter, a 3D scanner, and a variety of hand tools, so that artists, creatives, makers, and entrepreneurs can construct whatever they can imagine.
Our Partners
Blackstone LaunchPad
The BLP is a national entrepreneur network, that is open to all UTPB students and recent alumni in all majors, and enables participants to access mentoring, grow their network, and access the resources to accelerate their business success.
Small Business Development Center
The SBDC provides entrepreneurs with access to professional and confidential business advising, a variety of quality training programs, and an extensive referral network. With the addition of business advisors who live and work in your local community, success is just around the corner!
Events
The Midland Entrepreneurial Challenge is an annual business plan competition open to entrepreneurs who are operating (or plan to operate) their businesses within the Midland city limits. $500,000 in prize money is generously sponsored by the Midland Development Corporation. The program runs over 6 months in the fall and winter each year.
VISIT THE MEC WEBSITE
Past Events
Food Entrepreneurship Seminar
On October 16th, 2023 at the CEED Auditorium, OIC held a food entrepreneurship seminar for aspiring or established food entrepreneurs looking for assistance launching mobile food businesses, brick and mortar restaurants, and food products. Our guest speaker was Tracie Shelton with Alamo Kitchens out of San Antonio Texas. This event was held in collaboration with the Small Business Development Center, Midland Development Corporation, and the Black Chamber of Commerce of the Permian Basin.
View the Flyer
IP Workshop
On Friday April 1st, the Office of Innovation and Commercialization hosted an IP workshop in collaboration with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, UTPB Blackstone LaunchPad, the UTPB SBDC, Texas Accountants and Lawyers for the Arts, and the IP Law Section of the State Bar of Texas to bring 16 different intellectual property professionals to UTPB to educate the community about intellectual property. The day was broken into three sessions including a general education session about the basics of intellectual property, followed by breakout sessions in four areas: (1) software, (2) mechanical/electrical inventions, (3) consumer products, and (4) art, and ending with 1-on-1 sessions with the different speakers so everyone could get specific questions answered.
Download/View Presentations