NIU Office of Innovation

Join webinars and in-person events that discuss a wide range of innovation topics, including food systems innovation, startups, incubation, technology commercialization, law, entrepreneurship, technology development, and funding issues. Take part in programs that include the Innovation Club, hackathons, innovation challenges, and networking events.

Join webinars and in-person events that discuss a wide range of innovation topics, including food systems innovation, startups, incubation, technology commercialization, law, entrepreneurship, technology development, and funding issues. Take part in programs that include the Innovation Club, hackathons, innovation challenges, and networking events.

We can identify innovation partners for our faculty, students, and the community. These partnerships can include direct sponsorship opportunities, in-kind support, and co-created programs.

The Office of Innovation can help with evaluating and protecting NIU-created intellectual property, including patents, trademarks, and copyrights. We work with industrial partners to develop and license NIU technologies, with the goal of commercializing NIU-created products or technologies. We’re your gateway for interactions with NIU faculty, staff, students, and community members who require confidentiality agreements or material transfer agreements.

Do you need help identifying and acquiring resources to help take your inventions to the market? We can help find industry partners and funding sources.

In our 71 North Partnership Studio, we incubate NIU and community startups, from concept development and business case analysis to incorporation and launch. We offer varying professional, flexible office and lab spaces for businesses on the NIU campus, and we can connect you with university departments, faculty, and students, as well as other startups and industry partners.