The conference was the first of its kind for UCLA and, for its scope, rare in the field of academia. The exclusive event attracted 110 people, half of whom were industry representatives, said Miles Gerson, managing officer of business development at OIP-ISR. Also attending were UCLA faculty from the areas of medicine and engineering, high-level investors, university-based start-ups, as well as those who help drive commercialization of university-based knowledge.

 

The success of this first event inspired a similar showcase, this time of UCLA’s expertise in clean tech and advanced materials. That event, held Sept. 27, drew more than 200 industry representatives, investors, faculty and those involved with running UCLA start-up companies.