San Diego Cleantech Initiative

The von Liebig Center and the City of San Diego are pleased to announce the first San Diego Clean Tech Initiative. The partnership will provide seed funding and business mentoring services to university faculty members and researchers in the region to accelerate the transition of their inventions to a commercial venture. We solicit applications from researchers across academic institutions throughout the region.

Projects that demonstrate high potential may be awarded a Seed Grant of up to $50,000 for proof-of-concept studies or prototype construction. The von Liebig Center business mentoring services are provided by a team of consultants who possess senior-level product and corporate development experience in broad areas of high technology obtained within major corporations as well as startups. These individuals can assist you in analyzing the commercial potential of your research and can advise you on the alternative pathways toward commercialization. To learn more about this program and how to apply please visit Clean Tech Initiative Application Guidelines (pdf).

Commercialization Services and Seed Grants will be awarded to faculty or research team who apply by submitting the Statement of Intent Application (pdf). We encourage interested researchers to contact us regarding eligibility to apply; the application schedule is as follows:

Application Schedule

 

About UC San Diego 's William J von Liebig Center: The von Liebig Center's mission is to inspire entrepreneurism and catalyze commercialization of UC San Diego's inventions through grants, education and business mentoring. Established in the Jacobs School of Engineering in 2001 with a $10 million gift from the William J. von Liebig Foundation, the Center has invested more than $3.8 million in seed grants and advisory services to over 70 technology projects, stimulating more than 15 licenses to corporations and startups. These startups have attracted more than $71 million in private capital. A study released in 2008 by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and the Max Planck Institute of Economics described the von Liebig Center at UC San Diego and the Deshpande Center at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as models of effectiveness in commercializing early stage university-based innovations.

About the City of San Diego's Cleantech Initiative: The San Diego Cleantech Initiative was launched in April of 2007 to help nurture and accelerate the growth of cleantech companies and foster sustainable development of green enterprises. The City of San Diego has identified the development of a cleantech industry cluster as a key economic development goal for the region. It sees universities and research centers as the main source of breakthrough innovations. The City is already working with several companies, providing a wide array of assistance to assist in their business operations.

About Clean Technology: Clean technology is an emerging sector of a range of products, services and processes that harness renewable materials and energy sources, reducing the depletion of natural resources and reducing or eliminating pollution and waste to create sustainable and secure energy sources. Clean technology encompasses advancements in solar power, wind power, hybrid vehicles, fuel cell technology, tidal and wave power, bio-diesel, green building materials and water treatment systems.

We look forward to receiving your applications.

Rosibel Ochoa, PhD
Acting Executive Director, William J. von Liebig Center
rochoaf@soe.ucsd.edu