University engineers towards commercialisation

The North Carolina A&T State University’s Engineering Research Centre has unveiled plans to begin aggressively commercialising research.

Following over five years of research into advanced biometallic materials, the ERC has signed into an agreement with California-based life sciences incubator InCube Labs. The incubator, which raised its $30m InCube Ventures II fund earlier in the year and has a standing commercialisation agreement with University of Texas at San Antonio, will evaluate potential biomaterials from the ERC with the option to license and develop them.

InCube will also cover the costs of any further feasibility studies on biomaterials, and also be responsible for raising capital with which to launch any ERC spin-outs that emerge.

Jag Sankar, director at ERC, said: “Our team of innovative engineers has made strong progress in advancing our bioresorbable metals technologies, and we have been testing their use in clinically relevant device prototypes. Our next step now is to work with industry to bring these innovations to market and to patients. InCube Labs has a tremendous track record of success in developing and commercialising breakthrough technologies, and we are thrilled with this relationship with InCube to advance our novel biomaterials to the next phase of development.”