USU progressing with USTAR
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No Comments [ Add Comment ]By Amy K. Stewart
Standard-Examiner staff
L
OGAN -- Utah State University is working hard to help companies with inventions and patents as part of the Utah Science, Technology and Research (USTAR) economic development initiative, said a university administrator.
Ned Weinshenker presented USTAR information to the university's Board of Trustees on Friday in Logan.
Weinshenker is USU's vice president for strategic ventures and economic development. He began his position about a year ago.
USU researchers are looking into such topics as diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease, he said.
"They're doing research in those areas to see how nutrition impacts those diseases," Weinshenker said. "And hopefully, as we do that, we will come up with inventions that can be commercialized."
Some of those discoveries could include nutritional diets, functional foods or components of food, or even new drugs to deal with the diseases, he said, adding that nothing is ready to go to market yet.
Researchers are also looking into environmental issues, he said.
"Our biofuels team is looking at areas to see where we can make an impact on green energy," Weinshenker said.
The goal of USTAR is to create jobs as the university collaborates with area businesses.
"This country is where it is because of Intellectual Property Development and being in the forefront of new inventions and new things needed for society," Weinshenker said. "If you look at where most of this comes from, it is initiated around universities."
Weinshenker said he feels the Legislature has been "incredibly supportive" of USTAR.
USU is getting $60 million in state funding to create a USTAR building on the Innovation Campus, the university's research park in North Logan.
"It will be a state-of-the-art facility," Weinshenker said.
USTAR is reaching out statewide by implementing five regional offices throughout Utah. This was in the original USTAR legislation, Wein-shenker said.
"I think it's essential." he said. "We want these companies to stay in Utah. We want to create jobs here."
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