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PSU Signs on First Company for Business Accelerator Project
Portland State University and Octavian Scientific, Inc., have agreed in principle to a business partnership made possible by Oregon Ballot Measure 10's passage in 2002, allowing universities to hold and dispose of stock in technologies developed through funded research activities.
Portland State is the first university in the Oregon University System to capitalize on Measure 10. The agreement with Octavian, a semiconductor equipment start-up, allows the company to lease space in PSU's Fourth Avenue Building, giving Octavian access to PSU's faculty and research facilities in the Integrated Circuits Design and Test (ICDT) Laboratory. PSU receives stock in Octavian in exchange for rights to technologies developed.
"The relationship between Octavian and PSU works on a number of levels," said Jay Kenton, vice president for Finance and Administration. "It is focused on economic development, which is an increasingly important part of our mission. It positions PSU to be a resource to the business community by providing facilities and expertise. And, it facilitates collaboration between faculty, students and entrepreneurs, which provides mutual benefits to parties involved."
Octavian is focused on developing innovative products that reduce costs and increase performance in testing semiconductor devices. Research is being conducted in conjunction with Robert Daasch, electrical and computer engineering faculty, his students, and the College of Engineering and Computer Science's ICDT Lab, home to over $2.5 million in state-of-the-art automatic test equipment (ATE) from Credence Systems Corporation, Electroglas, Inc., and other industry leaders.
The University is working closely with the Oregon Department of Justice to negotiate final terms of the agreement, as well as to design a blueprint for the "business accelerator" process. University officials plan to eventually extend this agreement to as many as 30-40 companies from a variety of sectors.
Twenty-three other states allow public universities to hold stock. When a public university in those states creates a technological advance, a private company can give that university stock in exchange for that innovation or for permission for the company to market, own, sell or license that innovation. This practice has been used to develop non-tax revenues for public higher education in other states. Prior to passage of Oregon Ballot Measure 10, the Oregon Constitution prohibited the state from subscribing to or being interested in the stock of any company, association or corporation, with limited exceptions. This prohibition extended to Oregon's public colleges and universities. Oregon law still does not allow universities to use taxpayer money to invest in the stock market.
PSU's ICDT Lab, in the College of Engineering and Computer Science's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, supports research and education in semiconductor design and test. The lab, located in the Fourth Avenue Building (1900 SW Fourth Ave.), provides invaluable research opportunities to students and faculty, as well as companies in the region's semiconductor industry. Portland is home to companies that specialize in integrated circuits (IC) design, IC manufacturing (including next-generation process development), IC automation testing and electronic design automation.
PSU's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering programs offer instruction in integrated circuit design and test on topics such as semiconductor devices, semiconductor manufacturing, microwave design and digital signal processing. Seven faculty members supervise graduate students in the laboratory; two are IEEE Fellows (highest rank). Lab faculty have received five Intel Oregon Faculty Development Fellowships, and graduates from the lab have gone on to careers in leading semiconductor test and design companies as well as advanced academic and research programs.
Portland State University, Oregon's only urban university, is the largest and most diverse in the state system. The University's position in Oregon's economic and cultural center allows for deep community engagement and the creation of partnerships with hundreds of organizations throughout the region - partnerships that give PSU students valuable learning opportunities as they solve real-world problems of business and community. Portland State offers more than 100 undergraduate, master's, and doctoral degrees, as well as graduate certificates and continuing education programs. PSU serves more students and confers more master's degrees annually than any other Oregon university.
For more information on Octavian Scientific, media should contact Chuck Wiley, Octavian president and CEO, 503-725-9661.
Portland State is the first university in the Oregon University System to capitalize on Measure 10. The agreement with Octavian, a semiconductor equipment start-up, allows the company to lease space in PSU's Fourth Avenue Building, giving Octavian access to PSU's faculty and research facilities in the Integrated Circuits Design and Test (ICDT) Laboratory. PSU receives stock in Octavian in exchange for rights to technologies developed.
"The relationship between Octavian and PSU works on a number of levels," said Jay Kenton, vice president for Finance and Administration. "It is focused on economic development, which is an increasingly important part of our mission. It positions PSU to be a resource to the business community by providing facilities and expertise. And, it facilitates collaboration between faculty, students and entrepreneurs, which provides mutual benefits to parties involved."
Octavian is focused on developing innovative products that reduce costs and increase performance in testing semiconductor devices. Research is being conducted in conjunction with Robert Daasch, electrical and computer engineering faculty, his students, and the College of Engineering and Computer Science's ICDT Lab, home to over $2.5 million in state-of-the-art automatic test equipment (ATE) from Credence Systems Corporation, Electroglas, Inc., and other industry leaders.
The University is working closely with the Oregon Department of Justice to negotiate final terms of the agreement, as well as to design a blueprint for the "business accelerator" process. University officials plan to eventually extend this agreement to as many as 30-40 companies from a variety of sectors.
Twenty-three other states allow public universities to hold stock. When a public university in those states creates a technological advance, a private company can give that university stock in exchange for that innovation or for permission for the company to market, own, sell or license that innovation. This practice has been used to develop non-tax revenues for public higher education in other states. Prior to passage of Oregon Ballot Measure 10, the Oregon Constitution prohibited the state from subscribing to or being interested in the stock of any company, association or corporation, with limited exceptions. This prohibition extended to Oregon's public colleges and universities. Oregon law still does not allow universities to use taxpayer money to invest in the stock market.
PSU's ICDT Lab, in the College of Engineering and Computer Science's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, supports research and education in semiconductor design and test. The lab, located in the Fourth Avenue Building (1900 SW Fourth Ave.), provides invaluable research opportunities to students and faculty, as well as companies in the region's semiconductor industry. Portland is home to companies that specialize in integrated circuits (IC) design, IC manufacturing (including next-generation process development), IC automation testing and electronic design automation.
PSU's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering programs offer instruction in integrated circuit design and test on topics such as semiconductor devices, semiconductor manufacturing, microwave design and digital signal processing. Seven faculty members supervise graduate students in the laboratory; two are IEEE Fellows (highest rank). Lab faculty have received five Intel Oregon Faculty Development Fellowships, and graduates from the lab have gone on to careers in leading semiconductor test and design companies as well as advanced academic and research programs.
Portland State University, Oregon's only urban university, is the largest and most diverse in the state system. The University's position in Oregon's economic and cultural center allows for deep community engagement and the creation of partnerships with hundreds of organizations throughout the region - partnerships that give PSU students valuable learning opportunities as they solve real-world problems of business and community. Portland State offers more than 100 undergraduate, master's, and doctoral degrees, as well as graduate certificates and continuing education programs. PSU serves more students and confers more master's degrees annually than any other Oregon university.
For more information on Octavian Scientific, media should contact Chuck Wiley, Octavian president and CEO, 503-725-9661.
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