The Idea to Product® UT Competition will be held Friday and Saturday, April 24th – April 25th, 2009 at the ACES Building at the University of Texas at Austin. The competition kicked off at 9:15 AM today with the Challenge (Semifinal) Rounds and 9:15 AM on Saturday (The Marvin Selig Finals).

As you may already be aware, the I2P® UT Competition is an early-stage technology commercialization plan competition hosted by the Murchison Chair of Free Enterprise at The University of Texas at Austin. The I2P® competition focuses on the education and creation of the next generation of technology entrepreneurs.

This year, we have 11 semifinalists with technologies ranging from biotech, to clean energy, to smartphone applications, and even customized candy.

The competition has had a significant impact in the commercialization of new technologies. Previous teams have produced work that has increased research funding, licensing of technology, and creation of new ventures. The competition has also served as a commercialization forum for faculty and members of the community. Faculty have been able to consider societal needs and members of the community have been given an early preview of cutting-edge technology.