A “poster child” is the Utah Neural Array developed in the Utah Microfabrication Core Lab by Richard Normann who effectively established an engineering linkage to a series of medical applications. This effort became commercialized in his Bionic Technologies, Inc. then in Black Rock with the ultimate development of a new, local cleanroom, accompanying jobs and additional University collaborations. There have been multiple human surgeries (motor cortex implant) with the commercial Electrode Assembly, enabling quadriplegic individuals to begin controlling computers and artificial limbs through their volitional thoughts. Further substantial NIH grants have been awarded to Utah PI’s based on development of this and related local know-how.

Anticipated outcomes from similar collaborative efforts include new ideas through effective seeded collaborations (facilitated by seminars, open use labs and other interactions); more effective research proposals seeded by user fee sponsorship to obtain preliminary data; superior research enabled by better equipment, instrumentation, & expertise; and more, stronger companies maturing through start-up, based on an industrial preliminary data seed fund and cost-effective access to needed sponsored resources.