Three members of the University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research’s Biofuels and Environmental Catalysis research group have been selected to participate in a University program aimed at commercializing University technology and creating start-up businesses.
Eduardo Santillan-Jimenez, Rob Pace, and Great Umenweke comprise one of 12 teams to selected to participate in the 12-week Fall 2023 UAccel program. Organized in partnership with the University of Kentucky Office of Technology Commercialization and Kentucky Commercialization Ventures, the UAccel program is designed to offer business development and an experiential learning opportunity to innovators in higher education interested in learning the best commercialization path for their technology. The goal of the program is to advance the technology toward commercialization, including preparations for Small Business Innovation Research grant applications, the creation of a startup, or licensing of the technology.
Candidates were selected through a competitive application and interview process.
The CAER team will be expanding their Sustainable Aviation Fuel research and development. Specifically, the group will be seeking to identify inexpensive catalysts capable of converting different waste and renewable feeds to Sustainable Aviation Fuel blend stock. This novel catalytic technology is not only practicable but addresses several of the drawbacks of the technology currently employed to perform this transformation.
“The staff of the UK Office of Technology Commercialization, in general, and Emmanuel Smith, in particular, have been most supportive of our Sustainable Aviation Fuel research,” said Santillan-Jimenez, program manager at CAER and adjunct assistant professor in UK’s Department of Chemistry. “Indeed, not only has UK OTC helped guide us through – and cover costs associated with – the Intellectual Property process, but UAccel is also providing our team with invaluable training related to the transfer and commercialization of our technology.”
