On April 20, the Mason Enterprise Center and Mason Innovation Exchange (MIX) hosted a delegation of 12 representatives from technological universities and tech supporting organizations across the Republic of Georgia. The visit was facilitated by the University Capacity Building Program (UCBP), an initiative to foster entrepreneurial culture at Georgia’s higher education institutions, link practical research output to industry, and increase innovation and economic growth.
Members of the group had experience in innovation ecosystem building and selected Mason to better understand our model, our role, and the impact of our programs and partnerships statewide. Mason programs and partners participating in the event were:
- Mason Innovation Exchange (MIX) – Tim Nielsen
- Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship – Jim Wolfe
- Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation (VIPC) – Sean Mallon, Hina Mehta, and Debi Roder
- Mason Enterprise/Office of Technology Transfer – David Grossman
- Mason Enterprise Center – Eddie Hill
Goals for the event included identifying models that could be replicated at Georgian higher education institutions and partnerships to develop pilot programs of high value to the delegates and their respective organizations. The expected next steps include individual discussions between delegation members and Mason program representatives to develop the first cooperative initiatives fostered by this visit.