{"690571":{"#nid":"690571","#data":{"type":"news","title":"As Demand for Research Commercialization Grows, VentureLab Is Leading by Example","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThrough a global collaboration with Research Ireland, VentureLab is helping to shape how institutions around the world approach research commercialization and innovation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETurning research into real-world impact depends on strong ideas and on the systems and people that guide those ideas forward. As universities invest more heavily in commercialization, many face a common challenge: how to equip teams with the tools and expertise to support innovation from the ground up.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt Georgia Tech, VentureLab is working to address that gap.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAt the core of this work is helping researchers and the teams that support them make better, evidence-based decisions about how ideas move from the lab into the real world,\u201d said Keith McGreggor, director of VentureLab.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBuilding Global Partnerships\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThrough a recent collaboration with Research Ireland, VentureLab shared its approach to evidence-based entrepreneurship with leaders behind Ireland\u2019s ARC Hub program, an initiative designed to accelerate research into real-world applications across areas including therapeutics, information and communications technology, and health tech.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe goal is to support cutting-edge research that has the potential to be commercialized and help that happen at an accelerated pace,\u201d said Alice Vajda, scientific program manager at Research Ireland.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA Train-the-Trainer Approach\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERather than working directly with researchers, VentureLab led a multiday training for ARC Hub leadership and operations teams. The training focused on a \u201ctrain-the-trainer\u201d model, providing participants with the frameworks and tools to guide research teams through the commercialization process.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis collaboration is about more than a single training; it\u2019s about equipping teams with the tools and mindset to support researchers over time,\u201d said Melissa Heffner, associate director at VentureLab, who helped lead the training alongside Sara Martin Henderson, principal at VentureLab and lead regional instructor for the NSF I-Corps Southeast Hub.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe sessions emphasized practical application, including coaching strategies and real-world scenarios designed to help teams more effectively manage and support research projects with commercial potential.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt was very practical and hands-on, focused on how to coach researchers and apply these approaches in a real-world setting,\u201d Vajda said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor Theo Little, development support manager with the ARC Hub for ICT at Technological University Dublin, the training reinforced a more structured and evidence-based approach to supporting research teams. \u201cThe VentureLab team shared their journey, including the mistakes, and allowed us to learn from them,\u201d he said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile not every approach could be applied directly across different program structures, the underlying principles have still influenced how teams approach their work.\u0026nbsp;\u201cTesting assumptions and engaging with stakeholders early has been really important. It\u2019s better to learn quickly what works and what doesn\u2019t,\u201d Little said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EShifting How Teams Think About Innovation\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile the collaboration is still in its early stages, Research Ireland leaders say the training has already influenced them.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt really informed how our teams think about best practices and how they support research as it moves toward commercialization,\u201d said Aisling McEvoy, head of enterprise partnerships at Research Ireland. \u201cIt was a very valuable and thought-provoking experience.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELooking Ahead\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe collaboration reflects a broader shift in how innovation ecosystems are built. Increasingly, institutions are focusing not only on developing founders but also on strengthening the systems that support them.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor VentureLab, the partnership highlights the growing global influence of Georgia Tech\u2019s commercialization ecosystem and reinforces VentureLab\u2019s role as a leader in evidence-based entrepreneurship and innovation training.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EVentureLab is helping institutions around the world strengthen research commercialization by sharing Georgia Tech\u0027s evidence-based entrepreneurship model, equipping innovation leaders with the tools and frameworks to better support researchers and accelerate real-world impact.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"As demand for research commercialization continues to grow, VentureLab is helping institutions build the skills, systems, and strategies needed to move more innovations from the lab to the marketplace."}],"uid":"36434","created_gmt":"2026-05-31 16:16:22","changed_gmt":"2026-06-04 15:05:43","author":"lcameron30","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-29T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-29T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680385":{"id":"680385","type":"image","title":"VL-Archub.jpeg","body":null,"created":"1780244203","gmt_created":"2026-05-31 16:16:43","changed":"1780244203","gmt_changed":"2026-05-31 16:16:43","alt":"Group photo of VentureLab leaders and ARC Hub program participants during an evidence-based entrepreneurship training workshop in Ireland.","file":{"fid":"264641","name":"VL-Archub.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/31\/VL-Archub.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/31\/VL-Archub.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":43815,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/31\/VL-Archub.jpeg?itok=q-_nVCFI"}},"680386":{"id":"680386","type":"image","title":"VL-archun-21.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EParticipants from Research Ireland\u0027s ARC Hub program joined VentureLab leaders Keith McGregor, Melissa Heffner, and Sara Martin Henderson for a multiday evidence-based entrepreneurship training designed to strengthen research commercialization capabilities across Ireland.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1780244263","gmt_created":"2026-05-31 16:17:43","changed":"1780244263","gmt_changed":"2026-05-31 16:17:43","alt":"VentureLab leaders and ARC Hub participants pose for a group photo during a research commercialization training in Ireland.","file":{"fid":"264642","name":"VL-archun-21.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/31\/VL-archun-21.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/31\/VL-archun-21.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":256152,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/31\/VL-archun-21.jpg?itok=xecGhjbH"}}},"media_ids":["680385","680386"],"groups":[{"id":"655285","name":"GT Commercialization"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"192255","name":"go-commercializationnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193658","name":"Commercialization"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ELacey Cameron\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:lcameron30@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Elcameron30@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}