Interdisciplinary Innovators Exchange
Interdisciplinary Innovators Exchange
From Research to Readiness: Building Pathways to Industry Engagement and Innovation
The 2026-2027 Innovators Exchange expands upon the foundation established during our inaugural year by moving beyond awareness and exploration to focus on industry readiness, innovation development, and research commercialization pathways.
Based on faculty feedback, this year's series introduces a more interactive and action-oriented experience designed to help researchers assess, strengthen, and communicate the industry and innovation potential of their work. In addition to our core informational webinars, the Exchange will now feature hands-on workshops and industry-focused panels and networking events that provide opportunities to build practical skills, develop tangible deliverables, and connect directly with potential collaborators and partners.
Through a combination of expert insights, faculty case studies, guided activities, and relationship-building opportunities, participants will gain a deeper understanding of what makes research attractive to industry partners and how to strategically position their work within today's evolving innovation ecosystem.
Throughout the series, participating faculty will explore:
- Emerging trends shaping industry-connected research and innovation investment
- How to assess the partnership, commercialization, and translational potential of their research
- Different pathways for engaging industry, from sponsored research and collaborative partnerships to intellectual property, licensing, and entrepreneurship
- Strategies for aligning research strengths with industry needs and market opportunities
- Tools for communicating research value to external stakeholders and decision-makers
- Resources available across the USF innovation ecosystem to support innovation and commercialization
- Practical approaches for developing an industry engagement and innovation roadmap
- Opportunities to build relationships with industry leaders, investors, innovation professionals, and fellow faculty
New Engagement Formats for 2026-2027
To provide a more comprehensive faculty experience, this year's Exchange incorporates four complementary session formats:
Informational Webinars
Hear from subject matter experts, experienced faculty, and innovation leaders as they
share insights, strategies, and lessons learned related to industry engagement, commercialization,
and research translation.
Hands-On Workshops
Move from concepts to action through guided activities that help participants evaluate
industry readiness, create innovation plans, and develop communication tools that
support partnership and commercialization efforts.
Industry Fireside Chats
Hear directly from industry and innovation leaders as they share lessons learned,
collaboration experiences, and insights into what makes research partnership-ready.
Networking Events
Connect directly with industry leaders, innovation ecosystem partners, and fellow
researchers to explore collaboration opportunities, exchange ideas, and identify pathways
for future partnerships.
Whether you are just beginning to explore industry engagement or are actively pursuing commercialization opportunities, the Interdisciplinary Innovators Exchange provides the knowledge, tools, resources, and connections needed to advance your research toward broader impact.
Fall Schedule of Events
The New Research Partnership Paradigm: Industry-Connected Research
Session Format: Informational Webinar
Date: September 17th, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM EST
Location: Microsoft Teams
Presenters: Karen Walker (Associate Director, Competitive Intelligence, USF Research Development
Institute) & Elizbeth Nelson (Director, USF – Florida High Tech Corridor)
Industry engagement is emerging as a key factor shaping research priorities and funding. This session examines the competitive intelligence behind this shift, including emerging patterns in industry-sponsored research, public-private partnerships, technology transition priorities, and workforce-driven innovation agendas. Participants will gain a clearer understanding of where industry interests are converging with federal priorities and learn practical strategies for identifying partnership opportunities, aligning research strengths with market needs, and positioning their work within evolving innovation ecosystems.
What Makes Research “Industry-Ready”? A Faculty Panel Discussion
Session Format: Fireside Chat/Panel
Date: October 19th, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM EST
Location: Microsoft Teams
Panelists: Dr. Zachary Haber (Assistant Professor, College of Engineering); Dr. Seçkin Özkul
(Assistant Professor, Muma College of Business & Director, Supply Chain Innovation
Lab), Dr. Nate Schilaty (Associate Professor, Morsani College of Medicine), and Elizabeth
Nelson (Director, USF - Florida High Tech Corridor)
What separates research that remains in the lab from research that attracts industry attention and investment? In this informational webinar, faculty with established industry relationships will share how they recognized the commercial and partnership potential of their work and the steps they took to develop this potential. Participants will gain practical insights into assessing the industry relevance of their research, understanding different pathways for engagement, and identifying early actions that can position their work for future collaboration and impact.
Innovation at the Intersection: Biomedical Innovation & Startup Connections
Session Format: Networking Event
Date: October 22, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM EST, USF CONNECT
Location: USF CONNECT (3802 Spectrum Blvd., Tampa, FL 33612)
Facilitators: USF Research Development Institute, USF CONNECT, Florida High Tech Corridor
** Limited seats available. Registration required **
As federal priorities continue to emphasize innovation, commercialization, and real-world impact, researchers must be increasingly proactive in identifying opportunities and building strategic partnerships. This interactive event brings together USF faculty, startup leaders, and innovation partners to explore emerging biomedical research priorities, NIH's growing use of unsolicited proposals, and evolving SBIR/STTR opportunities. Through targeted networking and discussion, participants will discover shared interests, forge new connections, and identify potential pathways for collaboration, research translation, and innovation.
REGISTRATION COMING SOON
From Research to Application — Finding Your Industry Fit
Session Format: In-person Workshop
Date: November 18th, 2026, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM EST
Location: Multipurpose Room, 3702 Spectrum Blvd., Suite 165, Tampa, FL 33612-9445
Presenter(s): Elizbeth Nelson (Director, USF – Florida High Tech Corridor)
** This workshop is the first part of a two-workshop series. Limited seats available. Registration required **
Translating research into industry-relevant value is an increasingly important skill for faculty seeking to expand their impact beyond traditional academic channels. This hands-on workshop will help faculty examine how their research capabilities and intellectual property map onto industry value chains, identify the markets and sectors most likely to have a stake in that work, and understand the foundational mechanics of technology transfer, IP protection, and industry sponsored research at USF.
Participants will leave with a clearer framework for positioning their research within broader industry and market contexts and a first-draft value proposition they can say out loud with confidence.
Preview of Spring Event Schedule
Innovation & Commercialization: Ask Us Anything
Informational Webinar
Faculty often hear terms like patents, licensing, startups, and commercialization, but knowing where to begin can be challenging. This interactive Ask Me Anything session gives participants direct access to USF experts representing key stages of the innovation journey. Through open discussion and audience questions, faculty will gain practical insights into protecting discoveries, assessing commercial potential, engaging industry partners, and accessing the resources available to support innovation at every stage.
From Value Proposition to Partnership — Identify, Engage, Pitch
Hands-on Workshop
** This workshop is the second part of a two-workshop series. Limited seats available. Registration required **
Moving from a strong value proposition to an active industry relationship takes a deliberate strategy for identifying the right partners and communicating value in terms that resonate with them. Building directly on our previous workshop, “From Research to Application — Finding Your Industry Fit,” this session explores the range of industry partnership models, how and where to identify potential collaborators, and the mechanics of industry relationships along with direct industry perspective on what shapes a first conversation.
Participants will work to sharpen their value proposition into a compelling pitch, leaving with a short list of target partners and a pitch they're ready to deliver.
Participation in previous workshops is not required but strongly encouraged. Those not able to attend the first part of this two-part workshop series will receive the recording and workshop materials from the previous session for review.
A Look Inside the Innovation Ecosystem: How Industry Evaluates Emerging Research Opportunities
Industry Fireside Chat
What happens after research captures industry's attention? This fireside chat brings together leaders responsible for evaluating emerging technologies, research partnerships, and innovation investments to discuss how organizations identify opportunities worth pursuing. Speakers will share how industry assesses technical potential, market relevance, scalability, implementation risk, and strategic fit when deciding where to invest time and resources.
Participants will gain a clearer understanding of the decision-making processes that shape partnership and commercialization opportunities and learn how researchers can more effectively position their work for engagement, translation, and long-term impact.
AI/Cyber Connect
Networking Event
Artificial intelligence and cybersecurity are reshaping industries, creating new opportunities for research collaboration, technology development, and workforce innovation. This networking event will bring together USF faculty and leaders from the Tampa Bay AI, cybersecurity, defense, and dual-use technology sectors to explore shared interests and emerging challenges. Participants will have opportunities to showcase their expertise, learn about industry priorities, and identify potential collaborators across areas ranging from AI-enabled security and cyber resilience to autonomous systems and emerging digital technologies. Designed to foster meaningful connections, the event aims to catalyze new partnerships that accelerate research translation, innovation, and economic impact.
Innovators Exchange Toolkit
Unlock the full potential of your industry partnerships with the Innovators Exchange Toolkit—a resource packed with actionable strategies, institutional insights, and real-world examples to help USF faculty amplify research impact and navigate industry collaborations with confidence. Whether you're new to industry engagement or ready to scale your efforts, this toolkit is your go-to guide for turning ideas into innovation.
View the Toolkit and More Resources Here
About Innovators Exchange
The Innovators Exchange is facilitated by the USF Research Development Institute and key partners across the vibrant USF Innovation & Commercialization ecosystem, including the Florida High Tech Corridor, USF CONNECT, Technology Transfer, and the NSF I-Corps Hub: Southeast@USF.