Industry

We have created a consortium of companies that are in diverse markets like assistive technology, medical goods and devices, information technology, robotics, consumer electronics and appliances, healthcare provisions, and health insurance. The QoLT ERC serves as a platform for corporate interaction both within and across those markets, and a new Quality of Life Technologies industry sector is emerging.

The QoLT Center collaborates with member companies in the development, maturation, and field testing of QoLT prototypes. Our model is based largely on past experience in transferring technology to industry, which requires 1) extensive engineering and field testing to create pre-commercial prototypes; and 2) company representatives participation in the project to effectivley and efficiently transfer technology.

We actively seek the participation of regional and U.S. companies and multi-national firms based abroad. Our most important contributions to QoLT ERC member companies are to add value to their product base through access to research and to create entirely new technologies for licensing. Our partnerships with regional economic development organizations facilitate technology transfer and commercialization. 

Become a Partner

Each agreement will spell out membership privileges, costs, and discounts, as well as the general terms of technology licensing. Specific membership benefits are outlined in the table below.

Our experience has shown people are the best mechanism for technology transfer. To help ensure open lines of communication, an ERC faculty member will be a point of contact for each member company in addition to the Industrial Collaboration/Technology Transfer Director.

Industry Member Benefits	Assoc	Full	Master
Open invitation to visit	•	•	•
Facilitated student recruiting	•	•	•
Booth at annual Technology/Industry Day	•	•	•
Listing on CMU QoLT Center web site	•	•	•
Advance copies of all publications	•	•	•
Notification of invention disclosures	•	•	•
Guaranteed seats & discounts for QoLT continuing education courses	•	•	•
Seats on Advisory Board	•	•	•
Participation in QoLT Foundry Advisory Board	•	•	•
Fee for researcher in residence OR sponsored graduate student working on member-specified project	—	—	Incl in fees
Annual meeting at member's site	—	—	•
Licenses to new quality of life technologies*	—	i***	ii
Directed research project and opportunity for exclusive license	—	—	iii
Annual Dues**	$5k	$20k	$100k

* Requires continued membership in good standing
** Combination of cash & donated equpment/services
*** Non-exclusive licenses available if no members exercise option for exclusive license
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
i — Non-exclusive royalty-free, non-commercial
ii — Member-only option (up to 3 years) to negotiate exclusive licenses
iii — Optional ($150k)