Obama Administration Takes Major Steps in Advancing U.S. Innovation

The iBridge Network Applauds Strategy to Create Growth and Address National Priorities

KANSAS CITY, Mo., Sept. 13 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Last week, the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) announced several recent measures taken by the Obama administration to bolster the country's innovation economy.  The iBridge(SM) Network, a program of the not-for-profit Kauffman Innovation Network, supports these crucial developments in encouraging public and private sector collaboration in order to drive innovation and strengthen the United States economy.

The announcements included the National Institute of Standards and Technology's recent guidelines on promoting the commercialization of federally-funded research.  Other significant steps include the first meeting of the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Accelerating Innovation Research (AIR) program, created to expand collaboration between the private sector and NSF-funded centers.  

"As an organization that is dedicated to innovation and entrepreneurship, we are incredibly pleased to see the administration focused on solutions that support moving innovations from the labs in which they are created into the commercial market where they can positively impact economic recovery and growth," stated Lesa Mitchell, director of the iBridge Network.  "Transparency and access to the fruits of publicly funded research and public/private sector partnerships are crucial in advancing innovations, and it is encouraging to see these major strides taking place."    

The iBridge Network aggregates research materials, technologies, and discoveries on its web site, providing innovation seekers with access to university-developed innovations, leading to further advances and next-generation products and services.  In today's current environment, innovation and collaboration are critically important to driving economic recovery, and the iBridge Network provides the tools, resources and relationship opportunities to ensure tangible outcomes.    

For more information, visit www.iBridgeNetwork.org.

About the iBridge(SM) Network

The iBridge(SM) Network is an innovation catalyst with a vibrant, online community enabling universities, companies and entrepreneurs to connect, collaborate and license tomorrow's research, products and services. Many of the nation's leading research institutions utilize the iBridge(SM) Network regularly to promote, share and advance their innovations and identify appropriate partners. The iBridge(SM) Network is a program of the Kauffman Innovation Network, Inc., an initiative of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. To learn more, please visit www.iBridgeNetwork.org, e-mail us at [email protected], or call 800-573-5136.

SOURCE iBridge Network