NNI Commercialization Resources

Node POC for I&E: Karl F. Böhringer, karlb@uw.edu

Statement: The University of Washington (UW) in Seattle, Washington partnered with Oregon State University (OSU) in Corvallis, Oregon to form the Northwest Nanotechnology Infrastructure (NNI), a collection of fabrication and characterization facilities at UW and OSU. NNI has three main thrusts – make, measure and mentor – emphasizing world-class micro and nanofabrication, advanced characterization, and workforce development. NNI welcomes innovators and entrepreneurs from academia, government, and industry by offering technical advice, training, and access to our extensive toolset and experienced staff. 

Getting Started: Visit the NNI website and connect to one of our facilities, for example the Washington Nanofabrication Facility.

Funding: Academic users, whether internal or external, enjoy a reduced rate to access NNI facilities. Also, watch for announcements for a new NNI Seed Grant program, which is launching in autumn of 2021.

Resources: NNI works closely with CoMotion, which partners with the University of Washington community on their innovation journey, providing tools, connections, and acumen to transform ideas into economic and societal impact.

Features/Case Studies: UW spin-off Tunoptix is an emerging leader in meta-optics, enabling a class of thin, lightweight computational vision systems. Inpria Corporation, which got its start at OSU and whose revolutionary material used in microchips has attracted investors such as Intel and Samsung, recently has agreed to be acquired by Japanese firm JSR for $514 million.

Entrepreneur(s)-in-Residence: Mike Robinson mikesville@gmail.com