On November 12, 2015, more than 1,000 people attended the Governor’s Celebration of Innovation in Phoenix. The event recognizes the top companies and best science and technology innovators state-wide. This year, UA startup SinfoníaRx received the award for Innovator of the Year - Startup Company, and Tech Launch Arizona was honored with the award for Innovator of the Year - Academia.

Neuro-ID is a startup founded on research and technology developed by Joe Valacich, Ph.D., professor in the UA Eller College of Management’s Department of Management Information Systems, and his former graduate student Jeff Jenkins. The team has chosen Tucson as their company’s home; the ecosystem conditions are right, says Sr. VP of Business Development Rod Dunmyre.

UA startup company Botanisol has been awarded a National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) grant totaling almost $225,000 to develop a new anti- inflammatory drug, TAI-LCx. The novel drug represents a possible replacement for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

In this report, we show how leveraging the UA’s emerging excellence in technology transfer, commercial feasibility studies, corporate relations, and tech parks has produced an ecosystem that encourages partnerships across industries and communities, propels cycles of innovation, and actively supports entrepreneurs as they bring new products to market.

Over the past two years, a number of changes have occurred both inside TLA and within the greater University community that effect the University innovation ecosystem. With help and input from across the TLA organization, we have re-structured over the summer of 2015. Come and re-meet us.

Codelucida, co-founded by a UA doctoral student and his advisors in Electrical and Computer Engineering, is developing a disruptive error-correction technology for next-generation solid-state drives (SSD). The two-year grant is non-dilutive federal funding meant to further assist the company in its commercialization efforts.