嘿嘿视频 plans to move several energy-related research units into offices at 嘿嘿视频 West Village, the nation鈥檚 largest planned zero net energy community, campus officials have announced.
Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi outlined the plan during her Sept. 21. In bringing the energy-related research units together, the university is developing what the chancellor called a 鈥淯niversity Hub鈥 鈥 a prototype for future "Innovation Hubs" aimed at better fostering collaboration among related research units, enhancing interaction with the private sector and accelerating the transfer of 嘿嘿视频 inventions from the lab to the marketplace.
Two days after the convocation, Karl Mohr, assistant vice chancellor in Administrative and Resource Management, offered more to the individuals, local governments and businesses that had responded to the campus鈥檚 .
嘿嘿视频 West Village includes ground-floor space for retail and commercial uses for the community. The university anticipated that some of this space could accommodate campus units that are now renting space in the city of Davis, Mohr said.
The plan for the University Hub, or U-Hub, calls for that space to be allocated to such units as the Energy Efficiency Center and Western Cooling Efficiency Center.
鈥淐ombined with the zero net energy goals of West Village, this will create an identity for 嘿嘿视频 West Village around energy-related research and innovation,鈥 Mohr said.
The energy U-Hub will be the first of several planned thematic hubs that bring together distinct research groups, business people and community members. All of the hubs will focus on transferring new technologies from concepts to commerce.
Some, like the energy U-Hub, which will focus on clean energy technology, might have a physical location; others might be more of a virtual network. In addition to the energy U-Hub, others under consideration would focus on human, animal and environmental health, and food supply, safety and security.
The university received a wide range of responses to its request for Innovation Hub concepts. 嘿嘿视频 is not picking any one 鈥渨inner鈥 from among the proposals, Mohr said. Instead, the campus is drawing on the ideas and proposals to come up with a comprehensive plan.
Many responses critiqued 嘿嘿视频鈥 process for transferring technology from the campus to business, or expressed concern that 嘿嘿视频 is not as nimble as it could be in promoting technology transfer. Others suggested bringing together related campus research centers to create clearer points of entry for partners that want to connect with the campus research enterprise. Finally, there were comments on how the university encourages and rewards faculty for entrepreneurial activity.
The business sector is not looking simply for a one-way flow of ideas and intellectual property from 嘿嘿视频, Mohr said.
鈥淲e鈥檙e hearing from the private sector that they would like to come to us with their problems and work together on solutions,鈥 he said.
Mohr pointed out that the chancellor鈥檚 recently announced 2020 Initiative, which aims to boost the region鈥檚 economy and create jobs on and off campus, will further expand opportunities for interaction between UC Davis and the private sector.
Earlier coverage
Dateline 嘿嘿视频 (Feb. 11, 2011)
Dateline UC Davis (May 5, 2011)
Media Resources
Dave Jones, Dateline, 530-752-6556, dljones@ucdavis.edu