Industry Partnerships
Partnership with industry is a vital path by which scientists can move their discoveries forward and ultimately benefit society.
QB3 believes partnerships should reward both sides. We connect UC researchers and entrepreneurs to industry scientists so they can exchange information, mentor each other, and identify funding opportunities that promise a good return on investment. We host industry visitors and manage formal alliances, always working with partners to ensure that interactions are mutually beneficial.
We have established several models and are open to experimenting further. Some examples:
- Our partnership with Pfizer, now in its third year, has provided over $9 million to more than 20 faculty at UC Berkeley, UC Santa Cruz, and UCSF. QB3 initiates collaborations between Pfizer scientists and UC researchers, with funding focused on innovative projects. Pfizer is also interested in seed stage investments in QB3 incubator network companies.
- Johnson & Johnson’s Corporate Office of Science and Technology has partnered with QB3 to co-fund the QB3 Bridging-the-Gap Awards, which enable researchers to explore and de-risk technology with commercial potential before launching a company. This is an unusual partnership because, instead of looking to license technology, Johnson & Johnson wants to build relationships with early-stage entrepreneurs.
- GE Healthcare loans QB3 major capital equipment such as the InCell 2000 analyzer for high-content drug screening, and offers our scientists a twice-yearly lab course on advanced processing of biological molecules.
- Top-level industry scientists speak at QB3’s Quadrant seminars, which are open to all. While on campus, Quadrant speakers often meet with university faculty and representatives from companies nearby.
To find out more about these and other partnerships, contact Neena Kadaba, QB3’s director of industry alliances.