University-industry liaison offices facilitate industry engagement with university researchers. This engagement takes many forms, including research partnerships investigating areas of mutual interest, and the licensing of discoveries and inventions made by academic researchers.
Through this exchange of knowledge, the work of academic researchers generates academic, societal, environmental, economic and financial impacts for local, national and global communities. (Extracted from the University Industry Liaison Office website, University of British Columbia)
Business incubators "nurture the development of entrepreneurial companies, helping them survive and grow during the start-up period, when they are most vulnerable. These programs provide their client companies with business support services and resources tailored to young firms." The term "business incubator" is often used interchangeably with the newer phrase "business accelerator." (Source: National Business Incubation Association)
UBC's technology transfer unit is the UBC University-Industry Liaison Office.
