Connecting Research & Innovation in Dallas-Fort Worth
Founded in 2014 by four Chambers in the DFW Region, the Texas Research Alliance (TRA) is a not-for-profit that builds industry, government and university research and innovation partnerships. There is no cost for TRA’s assistance to find the key regional partners to help meet your research and innovation challenges.
TRA projects have included recruiting the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the Federal Statistical Research Data Center to the DFW Region; partnering on the City of Dallas’ smart-city initiative; connecting companies with key researchers at area universities; and developing a long-term strategy to build DFW resources in defense, health care, education and information technology.
Industry Outreach
Objective: Meet industry research and innovation needs through partnerships with small to midsized businesses and universities.
Process: Work with each company, fully understand its research and innovation needs and convey them, in nonproprietary formats, to qualified growth/startup companies and university faculty.
Note: This can be done under nondisclosure agreements (NDA) with TRA or through TRA-facilitated interaction between the company and qualified small TRA companies and university faculty.
Project Development
Objective: Identify, qualify and engage regional resources that meet industry research and innovation needs.
Process: Identify and engage members of the growth/startup communities and universities with the staff/faculty, facilities and desire to meet the need of the regional industry partners. Bring the research and innovation providers together with the industry champions for assessment and engagement.
Consider a Capstone Partnership
The Region has a highly successful national model of best practices at UTD and UNT. This low-cost, defined company-university introduction provides IP protection, interdisciplinary student teams and high success rates. Contact the Texas Research Alliance for more information.
This article is part of the 2020 Higher Education Review Magazine.