Center ICE launches Alaska's first Innovation Accelerator

UAF’s Center for Innovation, Commercialization, and Entrepreneurship launched Alaska’s first ever Innovation Accelerator on Feb 1.  The Innovation Accelerator is a platform for turning innovative ideas into technical solutions to real world challenges.

The Innovation Accelerator consists of nine components organized in a linear fashion: ideation, seed funding, customer discovery, gap funding, intellectual property protection, pitch competition, SBIR/STTR support, commercialization support and physical space.

The process starts with refining an idea, moves through the development phase and ultimately leads to launching it as a real-world solution. All Innovation Accelerator components are available to faculty, staff, and students from all University of Alaska campuses. In addition, some of the components are available to the general public in Alaska.

The Innovation Accelerator is focused on scalable technical solutions but has some programs and services that are more broadly available and applicable. Some Innovation Accelerator components are always available, while some are programs that run a limited number of times throughout the year. Currently all components except the physical space offerings are available virtually.

UAF and Alaskans have a long history of developing innovative solutions to the unique challenges we face in the far north. The Innovation Accelerator is focused on efficiently evaluating ideas, pivoting where necessary, developing them and finding the right path to bring the idea to the market.

“All the programs and resources in the Innovation Accelerator are tested and proven in Alaska or elsewhere. We’re centralizing them at Center ICE, organizing and connecting them in a linear fashion, and inviting innovators a platform to make the most of their ideas,” said Center ICE Director Mark Billingsley.

Visit uaf.edu/centerice to learn about the Innovation Accelerator and for help building your innovation.