University of Minnesota’s IPrime (Industrial Partnership for Research in Interfacial and Materials Engineering) was created in 2000 and is a university/industry partnership based on two-way knowledge transfer. The partnership is a consortium of more than 40 companies supporting fundamental collaborative research on materials. Participation in IPrime affords companies the chance to scan a wide range of scientific and technological developments and delve into the fundamental science that undergirds their products. A principal goal of IPrime is the engagement of industrial scientists and engineers in a pre-competitive, non-proprietary and collaborative environment that promotes hands-on participation by visiting industrial scientists with IPrime faculty, students, and post-doctoral associates.

Northeastern University is leveraging its strong relationship with 3,600 companies through cooperative education and work programs, as well as with the privately-endowed Center for Research Innovation and Business School, to create a robust pipeline of innovation going from lab to market at startups and large companies around the world.