Mission
Work collaboratively in sharing resources to promote the transformation of great ideas and initiatives in research, innovation and even commercialization.
About us?
We are a community made up of UPRM students and professors, as well as emerging entrepreneurs from different parts of the island of Puerto Rico, who share the commitment to creating opportunities for collaboration and networking between innovative minds.
Vision
We hope that by distinguishing local entrepreneurial talent and emphasizing the importance of the development of social entrepreneurship and innovation, we will have a positive impact on our society.
CURRENT PROGRAMS
AREA-E is a program that arises from CDBG-DR funds from the Department of Housing. Its objective is to promote the economic development of Puerto Rico through the development of viable and sustainable small businesses. The programs they incorporate are: Incubation and Acceleration.
A qualified team of professionals will provide on-demand technical assistance through virtual mentoring to non-profit organizations, including academic institutions, qualified entities and corporations dedicated to submitting proposals to federal and private entities, bases for the planning and execution of projects that allow them to themselves or their beneficiaries respond to the economic damage of the coronavirus and foster a vibrant economic recovery ecosystem.
The Area-E Seed Capital Incentive program (I-CaSe) for small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) with 3.5 years of existence.
INNOVA is a collaboration agreement between the Mayaguez University Campus through the BEDC and the Department of Economic Development of the Government of PR. The purpose of the program is to train and mentor entrepreneurs with expansion ideas or future entrepreneurs with innovative ideas.
It is a space for students to come together, work on their innovative projects, and learn about design thinking, emerging technologies, and product development. Our ultimate goal is to empower the entire UPRM community by exposing them to the right tools and resources needed to succeed as innovators and leaders.
PAST PROJECTS
New Venture Design Experience (NVDE) is a project that seeks to develop a culture of innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship within the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus. NVDE is an academic year (2 semester) effort, in which students from all faculties work in interdisciplinary teams on the development of products that provide benefits to society and have the potential for commercialization.
NSF I-Corps is a boot camp focused on consumer research discovery for scientists and engineers seeking to build and develop a scalable business. We help identify valuable product opportunities that may arise from academic research, gain entrepreneurial skills through consumer discovery training, and offer mentorship from established entrepreneurs.
The mission of the program is to transform the experience of university students into one that addresses the right attitude to be innovative and acquire an entrepreneurial mindset. By understanding the challenges and objectives necessary to incorporate all parties involved, this proposal is developed following an entrepreneurial ecosystem approach. This approach enables resource optimization and the development of a sustainable business platform through the complexity and diversity environment of UPRM.
The goal of this project is to develop a recurring program to expose CAS-UPRM students to a mindset of innovation and entrepreneurship, as a first step in changing our agriculture as one of precision and efficiency, while increasing its economic potential. Through education, exposure to real-life challenges in agriculture, hands-on experiences, and interdisciplinary interactions with other students, students are expected to generate innovative tools for efficiency in the agricultural sector.
The mission of the program is to transform the experience of university students into one that addresses the right attitude to be innovative and acquire an entrepreneurial mindset. By understanding the challenges and objectives necessary to incorporate all parties involved, this proposal is developed following an entrepreneurial ecosystem approach. This approach enables resource optimization and the development of a sustainable business platform through the complexity and diversity environment of UPRM.
The University Innovation Fellows (UIF) program enables students and faculty to become leaders of change in higher education. They lead a global movement to ensure that all students acquire the attitudes, skills and knowledge necessary to navigate a complex world.
The primary goal of the program is to improve accessibility to existing knowledge and increase the ability to create new opportunities within the I&E ecosystem through a web-based format. VMP includes online modules, webinars, and one-on-one online mentoring with the appropriate mentor. The main objectives are to create technology-based E-Teams, facilitate the path to commercialization and accelerate the launch of their companies.