UAB has grown tremendously since its founding in 1936 from a small extension center with 116 students to a major research university with over 18,000 students. It has become a top research institution, ranking 30th in the US for federal research funding and in the top 100 universities worldwide for life sciences. UAB is a key driver of the regional economy, with an annual economic impact of $4.6 billion and over 23,000 employees, the largest in Alabama. UAB is working to further commercialize its research through partnerships, funding programs, business incubation, and growing its entrepreneurial ecosystem.

1. Innovation & Commercialization:
Research & Technology Based
Economic Development

2. o 1936: UA opened “Birmingham Extension Center” in old house on 6th Ave N,
with 116 students
o 1944: Medical College of Alabama established
o 1969: UAB becomes one of 3 autonomous campuses in newly formed UA
System
o UAB from1969 to present:
o Enrollment of 5,381 to 18,000
o 15 city blocks to 82; 1.6 million GSF to 13.6 million
o Budget of $50 million to more than $2 billion
o In 4 decades, UAB becomes a globally respected research university and
medical center

3. o Largest employer in state of Alabama with 23,000 employees
 Top 5 Best Places to Work in Academia by The Scientist
o $2.6 billion annual budget
o >$450 million in Annualized Research Dollars
o 31st in federal research expenditures
o 20th overall in NIH funding
o $4.6 billion annual impact on the region’s economy
In just 43 years:

4. • 16 to 1 leveraging on a state investment in
FY12 of ~$270 million
• Health Center
• Construction
• Students and on-campus activities
• Research
• Spin-offs

5. • In the 2012 Academic Ranking of World Universities
(ARWU), UAB is in top 100 for life sciences
• Performance Ranking of Scientific Papers for World
Universities 2012
o UAB is 93rd in overall ranking
 32nd in clinical medicine
 61st in life sciences

6. Sarah Parcak
BBC and Discovery Channel
TED Fellow
Gary Warner
NBC “Rock Center” with
Brian Williams
Jim McClintock
The Diane Rehm Show (NPR)

7. • UAB has more federal research expenditures than any
other non-member and more than 30 current members
o $324M – 32nd nationally
o Asset in recruitment and to give us a voice in issues critical
to our future
o Research drives innovation
o Innovation is key to commercialization and economic vitality

8. • UAB attracts 77% of total NIH
funding to Alabama institutions
(with $228.6 million)*
• The Scientist ranked UAB in Top
5 Best Places to Work in
Academia
*2007data

9. UAB Research Funding
o Total research funding has doubled every decade;
now ~ $500 million
o Ranked 30th nationally in federally funded
research at ~$270 million
o Ranked 22nd overall in NIH funding (~$220 M),
four schools in top 25
o Health Professions: 2nd
o Optometry: 4th
o Public Health: 12th
o Medicine: 22nd
o NIH funding is 77% of state total

10. UAB Also Far Outpaces Other State Universities in Research Expenditures
(2007 data)
o UAB $269,006
o Auburn U. $54,949
o UA Huntsville $48,415
o UA $27,744
o U. South AL $16,400
o Tuskegee U. $11,033
o AL A&M U. $8,467
o AL State U. $1,685
o Jacksonville State U. $371
o Miles C. $197
o Troy U. $181
Universities in Alabama had
$438,448,000 in federal
research expenditures in 2007
Federal Research Funds
(thousands)
2009 $300
2010 $325
2011 $344
2012 $294
2009-2012 UAB
Federal Research Funds
(millions):

11. State Universities Expenditures ($ millions)
UAB 325 (32nd nationally)
UAHuntsville 73
Auburn U 54
U Alabama 26
AL A&M 22
U South AL 15
Tuskegee U 13
AL State U 12
Total 540
NSF 2010 Federal Research Expenditures: Alabama Schools

12. UAB Nationally:
Among the Elite Top 30
1. Johns Hopkins
2. Univ of Washington
3. Michigan
4. Stanford
5. UCLA
6. MIT
7. Pennsylvania
8. UC San Diego
9. Wisconsin
10. UCSF
11. Columbia
12. Duke
13. Penn
14. Colorado
15. Washington Univ
16. Penn State
17. Cornell
18. Southern Cal
19. Yale
20. UNC
21. Minnesota
22. Ohio State
23. Vanderbilt
24. Case Western
25. Texas
26. Rochester
27. Emory
28. Harvard
29. Arizona
30. UAB

13. Moving Research From University Blvd to Main Street

14.  UABRF owns & manages intellectual property created by
the UAB community
 501.c.3. organization
 Established 1987
 No employees (UABRF staff are UAB employees
 Increased emphasis on economic development:
 Company formation
 Corporate partner development
 Corporate recruitment (with BBA, AL Dept. of Commerce)

15.  Since its formation in 1987, UABRF has generated more
than $65 million in licensing revenues ($41,155,324 since
2007), of which:
 $28,309,458 has been returned to UAB for investment
in further research; and
 $17,672,112 has been distributed to inventors
 UABRF’s ROI since 2005 = 3.6
 UABRF has helped in the creation of >55 start-up
companies based on UAB technologies

16. Established Companies

17. Emerging spin-off companies

18. Service
Providers
New Companies
Knowledge Capital
Economic Growth
Innovation
Ecosystem:

19. 19

20. • Ongoing collaboration with Birmingham Business Alliance is
stronger than ever
o Commercialization Advisory Committee
o “i2i” (Invention to Innovation) to speed tech transfer
o Plans to start venture philanthropy fund
• Southern Research Institute: The Alabama Drug Discovery Alliance
o 20 projects under way
o Promising lead for Parkinson’s Disease
• Alabama Launchpad - two winners in 2012

21. Invention to Innovation (“i2i”)

22. UAB’s Entrepreneurial Activity
• Strategic Plan
 Stresses outreach to regional industries; commercialization
• College of Arts and Sciences
 Interdisciplinary Innovation Forum
• The UAB Health System
 Innovation Board
• UAB School of Business
 Entrepreneur-in-Residence
• UABRF
 Embedded Business Development Consultant
• Edge of Chaos
 Space and opportunity for thought leaders to mingle

23. Technology Industry
Metropolitan Birmingham:
sixth best “Brain Magnet” in the
nation Forbes, February 2011
Information
Technology, 458
Analytical
Services, 81
Medical Device
Manufacturing, 39
Life Sciences
Manufacturing, 33

24. Resources: The Region

25. Blueprint Birmingham: Economic Prosperity
Action Items:
• Develop a public/private partnership “Proof of Concept” center to
develop new startups
• Raise an “Innovation Fund” to support the patent portfolio at UAB
• Lobby for state/federal appropriations that support the
Recruitment of top faculty/facilities to maximize impact on R&D
activities at UAB

26. • A business incubation facility and program that focuses on the development of
emerging biotechnology/life science, information technology and service
businesses, operates in partnership with UAB.
• A public-private economic development effort, Innovation Depot is funded by
the Birmingham regional business community, the Community Foundation of
Greater Birmingham and other leading private foundations, UAB, the City of
Birmingham and Jefferson County.
• Largest incubator in Southeast
o 92 start-ups, 500 employees
o $1.4 billion sales impact in past 5 years
• National Business Incubation Association honor:
o Top Technology Incubator (2011)
• 2012 “Soft Landings” designation for helping
international companies navigate into U.S. market
(1 of 25 worldwide)
One of 7 ‘Hot Startup Incubators”
– CNN Money (2011)

27. • Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship –
implementation 2Q-4Q2013
o Internal investment strategy to translate promising concepts into
new companies
 Malcovery and HelmetWerx as prototypes
 Advisory panel to include expertise from both inside & outside UAB

28. • Alabama Innovation Fund
o First recognition of universities as economic drivers
o $2M of $4M came to UAB in FY12
o Uncertain about FY13
o Hopeful for FY14
• Philanthropy: Maintaining the Momentum
o Since 2008, we have raised $332M
o ~45% growth in endowed chairs, professorships, scholarships
o National Alumni Society has over 10,400 members, 61 chapters
o Aggressive fundraising campaign in 2013
 New branding initiative:
“Knowledge that will change your world”

29. Growing the
entrepreneurial ecosystem
Source: jumpstartinc.org/ecosystem
Prioritizing needs:
 Proof of Concept Capacity
 Innovation Fund
 Entrepreneur Scholars
 Mentoring
 Education
 UABRF - proactive use of 501(c)3

30. David Winwood
winwood@uab.edu