UCSB I+E partners include the Bren School Environmental Innovation & Entrepreneurship Program, the California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI), the Center for Science and Engineering Partnerships (CSEP), the Office of Technology and Industry Alliances (TIA), and Technology Management (TM).
The Bren School Environmental Innovation & Entrepreneurship program offers formal innovation and entrepreneurship education as it relates to environmental products and services and connects students with resources in the impact investment community. Students in the program acquire the skills and mindset needed to drive impact-oriented innovation within an existing organization or to launch a new entrepreneurial venture. The program trains students to develop, test and validate ideas through experiential coursework in corporate innovation, entrepreneurship or social innovation.
The California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI) is an integrated research facility with locations at UCSB and UCLA. Its mission is to encourage university collaboration with industry and to enable the rapid commercialization of discoveries in nanoscience and nanotechnology. CNSI members represent a multi-disciplinary team of some of the world's preeminent scientists from the life and physical sciences, engineering, and medicine. The work conducted at the CNSI represents world-class expertise in four targeted areas of nanosystems-related research including Energy, Environment, Health-Medicine, and Information Technology.
The mission of the Center for Science and Engineering Partnerships (CSEP) is to strengthen UCSB’s capacity to play a leading role in the education and professional development of current and future scientists and engineers. Activities include efforts to increase participation and diversity in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields, to improve general scientific literacy and to meet national workforce needs. One of the most important resources that CSEP provides for new development is a large and varied network of education partners on campus, with industry collaborators, and in the greater community.
The Office of Technology & Industry Alliances (TIA) was established in 2005 with two main responsibilities: to manage the intellectual property developed through UCSB research and to manage agreements with industry partners that support research collaborations. TIA protects and licenses campus IP to external companies as well as UCSB startups. The primary mission of UCSB’s Office of Technology & Industry Alliances (TIA) is to build the foundation for long-term, productive, and mutually beneficial relationships between UCSB and its industry collaborators.
Technology Management at UC Santa Barbara provides entrepreneurship education through its certificate programs and the annual New Venture Competition (NVC). The department is dedicated to the development of business and innovation in an increasingly technology-based global economy. The NVC, and other experiential activities offered by TM, are strategically designed to enhance the student's academic experience, and focus on preparing them for successful careers as business leaders and entrepreneurs. Experiential curriculum offered in this department guides students through the process of ideation, customer discovery, market validation, and business model development.