Ohio University has joined forces with ten other institutions to start an online portal called Midwest Executives-on-Roster (XOR) aimed at matching C-level executives with university-linked businesses. Ohio expects Midwest XOR to help drive its efforts to commercialise faculty innovations for the benefit of society. Wellspring, a tech transfer software spinout of Carnegie Mellon University, designed the platform, which offers access on a strict invitation basis. The other founding members are University of Kentucky, Indiana University, Notre Dame University, Ohio State University, Oklahoma University, University of Cincinnati, University of Louisville, University of Minnesota and University of Nebraska. A range of unnamed institutions have also expressed interest in joining. Midwest XOR has been set up to provide universities access to executive-standard professionals interested in establishing businesses in the region. It will initially list 23 entrepreneurs and 21 companies, four of which originate from Ohio University. Ohio’s four companies include BGI Therapeutics and HepThera, developers of therapies for cancer and fatty liver disease respectively. The others are LnR Technologies, which has designed a copper-based heat exchange technology for applications including air conditioning, and Sunday Creek Pigments, the creator of a process to convert acid mine drainage into paint pigments. University of Kentucky’s office of technology commercialization (OTC) will spearhead Midwest XOR, which follows a similar regional collaboration started in the northeastern US. Kentucky also led the creation of Southeast XOR, launched recently for the Southeastern Conference (SEC) university grouping. Duane Nellis, president of Ohio University, said: “Advancing research and technology innovations that can foster economic development in the state of Ohio and the Appalachian region is a strategic priority for Ohio University. “We look forward to working with our higher education partners to support and promote this new platform.” Ian McClure, director of the OTC at University of Kentucky, said: “Cities in the Southeast and Midwest have relatively fewer entrepreneurs and investors with specific industry talent and expertise. “To fill this need, SEC and Midwest universities are approaching this challenge cooperatively by filling a critical talent gap for early-stage companies that will attract that capital.”

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