Interior Northeast I-Corps Hub (IN I-Corps)

December 11, 2022

IN I-Corps participants smile together on an outdoor patio — Taking innovation from the laboratory to the marketplace

The Interior Northeast I-Corps Hub (IN I-Corps) is representative of large portions of the United States that are predominantly rural, economically underserved, and struggling to reduce out-migration and restore economic vitality after the decline of manufacturing and extractive industries. It is also rich in natural resources, open space, and strong research universities.

IN I-Corps aims to expand the nation’s geography of innovation by developing a regional I-Corps innovation network that can become a repeatable, inclusive model of education and workforce training designed for and by innovators based in rural regions and small cities.

Cornell University serves as the lead institution within the Hub and supports the administration of I-Corps regional courses and entrepreneurial curriculum in collaboration with nine partner institutions that possess a strong track record of supporting deep technology innovation: Dartmouth College, Rochester Institute of Technology, SUNY Binghamton, SUNY Buffalo, Syracuse University, University of Pittsburgh, University of Rochester, University of Vermont, and West Virginia University.

Upcoming NSF I-Corps Regional Courses

IN I-Corps regularly offers NSF I-Corps Regional Courses for university-based STEM researchers and early-stage startup founders who are interested in exploring the market potential of their work and learning entrepreneurial skills. Participants learn to apply “customer discovery” methodology to evaluate the potential for translating their technology innovation from the lab into a successful product and/or service.