Partner with us

Overview:

Northeastern SMART fosters the formation of a strong interdisciplinary research team capable of formulating truly holistic approaches to address the most complex and advanced research challenges in smart devices and systems in a number of industries including the Internet of Things (IoT), 5G, Digital Agriculture, Robotics and Healthcare. We invite industrial partners to join us to accelerate the pioneering research in these areas by leveraging their industrial insights. We believe such a partnership is vital in facilitating technology transfer, and eventually translating scientific discoveries into solutions making everyday life safer, easier and more efficient. It is worth noting that, although the funds from Industrial Partners comprise only about 15-20% of the research expenditure in the center, 100% of the research results will be made available to Industrial Partners, as they happen, before external disclosure or publication, and with favored IP access by partners.

Membership:

  • Regular Partner – with annual investment
  • Collaboration Partner – with additional annual investment towards a specific research project (“Supported Project”) of interest to both the Center and the Collaboration Partner.

(*In-kind contribution equal to or greater than the membership fee is welcome. Discount is available to small business)

Benefits:

For ALL Industrial Partners:

Keep up with innovations

  • Early access to inventions and all other research outcomes in the center through a member-only online portal.
  • Capitalize on the center inventions to create maximum market value by acquiring a royalty free license.
  • Get involved in the process of innovating by attending the member-only annual center showcase events and many other internal research seminars.
  • Influence the technology strategic path and shape the future together with world leading researchers in the center by joining the Industrial Advisory Board (IAB) and voting on behave for the Industrial Partner’s interest.
  • Opportunity to place an employee as a visiting scientist at Northeastern engaging with with the people, research, and community of Northeastern on daily basis.
  • Access to Northeastern state-of-the-art labs and facilities as internal users through the visiting scientist.

 

Recruit talents before others

  • Access to top talents through formal and informal engagement with students and post-docs in the center and ability to attract and hire them as interns or full-time employees.
  • Ability to promote the Industrial Partner’s job openings through center events, website, and other channels, such as the seminars, workshops, and IAB meetings.
  • Opportunity for the Industrial Partner’s Visiting Scientist to serve as a technical advisor in the thesis committee of graduate students in the center.

 

Other benefits

  • Membership fee is considered a “gift” – non-overhead bearing & tax deductible.
  • Registration fee waived for annual open-to-public conference hosted by the center.

 

Research and Facilities Access

  • Membership fee is considered a “gift” – non-overhead bearing & tax deductible.
  • Early access to new SMART technologies, workshops and events.
  • Early access to inventions and all other research outcomes in the SMART.
  • A Non Exclusive Paid Up License to all membership fee-funded inventions will be offered on a time-limited basis to ALL partners who agree to share the costs of patenting. However, if only one partner so elects, the partner and NEU’ Technology Transfer Office are free to negotiate a royalty-bearing exclusive license to the Membership Fee-funded invention.
  • Access to member-only events such as tech showcase, workshops and IAB (Industrial Advisory Board) meetings.
  • Waived registration fee for annual open-to-public conference.
  • Ability to guide SMART’s technical pursuits by providing feedback on real-world technical needs.
  • Research partnerships with SMART could be used as a funding leverage when applying for external grants.
  • Ability to place an employee as a visiting scientist at Northeastern, with daily engagement with the people, research, and community of NEU.
  • Access to NEU state-of-the-art labs and facilities as internal users.
  • Access to more opportunities for engagements beyond the ones the Industrial Partner is already a part of, such as sponsored research, SMART talent and startups.

 

Talent Access

  • Access to top-talent through formal and informal engagement with NEU students and post-docs and ability to attract and hire them as interns and permanent hires.
  • Ability to promote Industrial Partners’ job openings through SMART events, website, and other opportunities, such as the tech showcase, workshops, or IAB events.
  • Capacity to position the Industrial Partner’s Visiting Scientist as a technical advisor in thesis committees of NEU graduate students.
  • Ability to conduct research involving customers (some of which could be SMART Center members).

 

For Collaboration Partners:

In addition to all the Benefits aforementioned, Collaboration Partners ALSO enjoy:

  • One or more research projects (Supported Projects, $100K/Year/Project) defined by faculty members together with the Collaboration Partners for quick turnaround proof-of-concept study (no additional contract).
  • Additional quarterly updates on the Supported Projects.
  • Opportunity to provide technical feedback based on the quarterly update and refine project goals in consultation with the Faculty PI/PIs.
  • Special acknowledgement on SMART website, advertising materials, conference presentations, and publications.