Commercialization Resources

The Center  serves as a hub for scientists and managers in the industry to complement and enhance their leadership capabilities. It also provides education in management and leadership to university faculty and graduate students

Consulting service at Northwestern offered to all faculty members who have questions regarding the commercialization process, hosted by INVO and NUCATS four times a year. By appointment only, attendees are able to consult with a panel of experts, including lawyers, investors, and experts on FDA regulations, commercialization, and licensing.

Schedule a personalized appointment by contacting Jim Bray.

For those that have therapeutic research, this is the bench to the clinic including IND process.  Capabilities include identifying and assisting with development on internal translational projects, and also connecting and assisting with the development of external industry projects of interest to Northwestern investigators. The program can also provide pilot funding to facilitate translational collaborations. Please contact Andrew Mazar

Find a seasoned entrepreneur to be your mentor and guide you through the business and legal aspects of starting a company.

Kellogg's Larry and Carol Levy Institute for Entrepreneurial Practice runs the Commercialization Laboratory devoted to develop business plans for Northwestern’s start-ups.  The goal is to better position the start-ups for further financing.  Commercialization Lab is a course designed to give MBA students hands-on experience in real start-ups from Northwestern University. Students prepare business plans and help with strategic decisions for the companies. Students work closely with company founders. The laboratory is led by Professor Sutter, a partner at Hopewell Ventures.   For more information contact William Sutter or see this overview (pdf).

The Entrepreneurship Law Center is a clinical program affiliated with the Bluhm Legal Clinic. Through the commitment of top attorneys and law students at the Northwestern University School of Law, the ELC provides legal services to entrepreneurs focusing on job creation and economic development in the Chicago area.

Researchers with new chemical compounds can participate in the Lilly PD2 phenotypic assay panel. This free and confidential service is designed to identify compounds that modulate cellular processes by screening novel molecules in disease-relevant assays.  If interested contact Allan Nader.

Northwestern University offers services of over 50 different specialized centers that can enhance your research.

iBIO’s mission is to make Illinois and the surrounding Midwest one of the world’s top life sciences centers: a great place to do business, and a great place to grow new technology ventures.

Biologue Chicago is a networking organization for the biotech community in and around the Chicagoland area.

ITA helps to grow technology companies by fostering deep collaboration among the diverse industry all in support of developing the ecosystem necessary to foster the success of its member companies.

The Kellogg Innovation Network (KIN) is a platform for on-going collaboration between Kellogg faculty, corporate innovation leaders, nonprofits and government.  The KIN hosts two dialogue events per year:

Provides a forum for Northwestern employees and alums to present business ideas and facilitates formation of project teams.

Provides current examples of innovative businesses and initiatives and an opportunity for students from various universities to share their innovative ideas through a problem-solving forum

Located in the Illinois Medical District near the UIC campus and close to CTA blue and pink lines.  Offers office and wet lab space.  More than two decades experience working with startups.

A brand new park, located across the interstate from US Cellular Field. Convenient to public transportation (close to CTA red line, with METRA stop planned).  Office and wet lab space is available, with flexible layouts.

A Northwestern University owned building located at Clark and Maple in Evanston with a mixture of commercial and academic tenants.  The building has fully operational wet labs and office space.

Contact Renee Berliant at (847) 492-3100 for more information.

Located in Skokie, a 15 minute drive from Northwestern's Evanston Campus, the Illinois Science and Technology Park is on the former site of Pfizer/Pharmacia/Searle campus.  Different levels of space, ranging from small labs to premium, high class space.

Located at 600 Davis Street in downtown Evanston. It is supported by the Farley Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, The Levy Institute and INVO. Space is available to all Northwestern students, faculty and alumni. The Incubator provides a friendly office environment for tenants to develop start-up companies, gain additional business knowledge through mentorship, and continue to pursue the entrepreneurial spirit. Office desks and chairs are available in the work area along with a conference room.

Also known as "the Incubator", the Technology Innovation Center is good for startups that do not need extensively built out wet lab space.  Two buildings in downtown Evanston.