June 22, 2015
EVANSVILLE, Indiana - Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division
(NSWC Crane) and the University of Southern Indiana announced a renewed
Partnership Intermediary Agreement (PIA) on Monday, June 22 during an event
held on the USI campus. The event included representatives from both Crane and
USI, including NSWC Crane Commanding Officer CAPT Jeffrey Elder and USI
President Linda L. M. Bennett.
“Our relationship with NSWC Crane has elevated our University as a
nationally-recognized best practice in technology transfer from the Department
of Defense,” said Bennett. “We continue
to collaborate on strategic initiatives in order to develop a strong ecosystem
for innovation in the southern Indiana region.”
The Crane-USI partnership has provided USI students with
entrepreneurship opportunities through USI sponsored programs such as
Technology Commercialization Academy (TCA), Eagle Innovation Accelerator and
Tech on Tap. From these programs, hundreds of ideas have been generated
utilizing Crane technology and patents and four start-up businesses have been
incorporated and sustained. Furthermore, the
formal agreement helps bolster USI’s Science, Technology, Engineering and
Mathematics (STEM) program, intellectual property development and experiential
learning opportunities.
“Both USI and Crane are committed to research and discovery of advanced
technology initiatives,” said Elder. “This collaboration is an added bonus
to NSWC Crane because it introduces us to some very bright, technically
advanced students while exposing them to the critical technical workload we
perform for the Warfighter. This is one of many partnerships that can
serve as a pipeline for future employees and the students can benefit by
ultimately obtaining great technical jobs right here in southern Indiana.”
During the event on Monday, students involved
with USI’s TCA and Innovation Accelerator programs demonstrated projects they
have been working on in recent months. USI student Logan Hayford, of H&H
Heating Sources, LLC, provided his product, “Cuisine Caterer”, for
demonstration. Hayford used a thermal target patent from Crane that has been
utilized in sniper training for his product, which produces an oxidative
reaction to heat food. H&H Heating Sources is currently working with
manufacturers in California to commercialize the Crane technology.
NSWC Crane and USI have operated under a Memorandum of Understanding
since 2007 and a PIA since 2009. The ongoing partnership, along with the
resulting increase in learning opportunities for USI faculty and students, led
to the creation of a full-time position at USI dedicated to management of the
Crane-USI partnership. In addition, the partnership helps support several
components of the university’s strategic plan, including enhanced experiential
learning opportunities and providing leadership to both Indiana and the region.
As NSWC Crane’s partnership with USI continues, local industries
will see further benefits from the commercialization of military technology
coming out of Crane. For more
information on the partnership, visit: www.usi.edu/outreach/usi-crane-partnership.