AKRON, Ohio – As part of FirstEnergy Corp.’s (NYSE: FE) ongoing effort to support education and the development of advanced energy technologies, President and Chief Executive Officer Anthony J. Alexander today announced a $2 million pledge to The University of Akron to establish the FirstEnergy Fund for Advanced Energy Research. The fund will be used to create the FirstEnergy Advanced Energy Research Center at the University and support development of carbon capture and coal-based fuel cells.

“The University has a long tradition of technologies research in general and energy studies in particular, including its recent work in the area of carbon capture and fuel cells,” said Mr. Alexander. “We are proud to help build on this strong foundation and we are hopeful that our contribution will inspire others to support the University’s important work in energy research.”

FirstEnergy also has secured a $250,000 contribution to the fund from CONSOL Energy, one of the nation’s leading coal producers and a major fuel supplier to the electric power industry in the northeast United States.

“We are pleased to partner with FirstEnergy in helping to fund this important research,” said J. Brett Harvey, president and chief executive officer of CONSOL Energy. “Every forecast I have seen suggests that coal must remain the cornerstone fuel for electricity generation in the United States. The University of Akron research will help ensure that coal is compatible with the nation’s energy and environmental priorities in the years ahead.”

“The University of Akron is known globally for our cutting-edge research into new materials and technologies that help accelerate knowledge creation and economic development in Northeast Ohio,” said Luis M. Proenza, president of The University of Akron. “We are most grateful to FirstEnergy and CONSOL Energy for their collaboration and partnership in advancing this important work that will strengthen our region and benefit our nation.”

The Advanced Energy Research Center initially will focus on development of carbon capture technologies that could be used by fossil-fueled power plants and the development of coal-based fuel cells for commercial use.

The University also plans to expand the center’s work over time to include development of new electric grid technologies needed for end-use efficiency, demand response, distributed generation, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and energy storage, as well as advanced generation technologies such as renewables, clean-coal and other low-or zero-emissions technologies.

FirstEnergy and CONSOL have agreed to provide expertise in technology related to power generation and energy delivery, and to serve on an advisory committee for the Advanced Energy Research Center.

UARF, a university-affiliated nonprofit organization that commercializes research at The University of Akron, bridges gaps between industry and the university, facilitating the transfer of technology to private companies. It also provides intellectual property, commercialization and enterprise creation support to UA faculty, staff and students, and other Northeast Ohio groups.

UARF’s efforts have led to substantial increases in both research funding and licensing revenue. Prior to its formation in 2001, UA received $23.8 million in research grants and contracts and $270,000 in licensing revenue. In 2007, UA brought in $32.8 million in grants and contracts and $6.3 million in licensing revenue.

“There is no doubt that UARF and its talented staff have added substantial value by promoting university technology and enhancing the university’s research mission,” said Vice President for Research George Newkome, who gave a presentation on UARF to the University Economic Development Association’s awards committee.

The University Economic Development Association is an organization of economic development leaders from universities, colleges and industry. Other award nominees included Montana University’s MilTech collaboration to transfer national defense-related technology and the University of Pennsylvania’s East Stroudsburg University Business Accelerator Program.

Thursday’s presentation will be “Biointerface Engineering for Healing and Reconstruction”; Friday’s is “Foundation Ideas for Tissue Engineering: Application to Heart Muscle and Esophagus.” Both will be at 2 p.m. in the Polymer Engineering Academic Center, 250 S. Forge St.

“Dr. Ratner is an incredible star in the world of bio-engineered materials — we are very fortunate to have him share his expertise,” says Dr. George R. Newkome, president of The University of Akron Research Foundation, vice president for research and dean of the graduate school.

UA has been heavily involved in biomedical engineering for more than 25 years, beginning as a research institute in 1980 and an academic department in 1984. It now offers undergraduate, master’s and doctoral degrees in biomedical engineering, with specialties in biomechanics and instrumentation, and signals and imaging. Biomedical engineering faculty and students conduct research on campus and in collaboration with local researchers in health care and industry.

Ratner became director of UWEB in 1996. He is also the Darland Endowed Chair in Technology Commercialization and professor of bioengineering and chemical engineering at the University of Washington.

He has launched two companies and three others have resulted from his research. His research interests include biomaterials, tissue engineering, polymers, biocompatibility, surface analysis of organic materials, self assembly, nanobiotechnology, and RF-plasma thin film deposition. He has written more than 400 scholarly works and holds 17 patents.

Ratner was elected a member of the National Academy of Engineering (USA) in 2002 and president of the Tissue Engineering Society of North America in 2003. He is on the council of the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society and is an associate editor of the Journal of Biomedical Materials Research. He is on the advisory board of the journal Biointerphases, and is on the editorial boards of 10 other journals.

His presentation is part of the 2007 Bayer Lectureship in Polymer Engineering. For more information on the Bayer lectureship, visit uakron.edu/cpspe/dpe/web/Bayer07.pdf.

Officials at both universities say this collaboration is an important first step in improving the innovation capabilities of the region and indicated that it could lead to forming a shared research foundation to more effectively support both institutions’ collective research enterprises and promote economic growth throughout Northeast Ohio.

Under a recently signed agreement, the University of Akron Research Foundation (UARF) will initially perform technology, commercialization and intellectual property management services for Cleveland State on an as-requested basis. Services will include:

• Evaluating products and technologies for commercialization or other technology transfer opportunities.

• Negotiating and administering contracts to transfer commercialization rights in intellectual property and technology.

• Identifying collaboration opportunities among universities and private companies.

• Supporting emerging enterprises.

“While both Cleveland State and our university already manage these functions, a combined effort will allow us to leverage a much larger pool of university-industry partnerships,” says University of Akron President Luis M. Proenza. “Research foundations create wealth in the communities they serve; by combining our resources, we can support the entire region in creating economic growth.”

“Our ultimate goal is to combine, where advantageous and appropriate, the resources of interested universities throughout the region,” Cleveland State University President Michael Schwartz says. “Our region has the opportunity to be on the leading edge of research collaboration and economic development.”

Both executives issued an open invitation to other institutions to join them in this cooperative effort as future opportunities arise.

UARF is a not-for-profit organization supporting The University of Akron. Unlike typical university organizations, research foundations are affiliated non-profit groups that can hold equity in start-up companies, providing financial and technical support. They can also enter into independent contracts and manage profits from technology licenses.

UARF’s expertise in pursuing technology transfer and commercialization opportunities is reflected in its recent inclusion as an “exemplary” institution in a recent study conducted for the National Science Foundation.

That study, conducted by Innovation Associates Inc., said when it comes to return on research investment and efficiency in transferring and commercializing technology regionally and nationally, UA is among the best in the United States.

The report named The University of Akron one of 10 “exemplary institutions for successfully advanced innovation partnerships through technology transfer despite their modest research expenditures, rural locations and other challenges.”

The Ohio Board of Regents recently ranked the university first in the state for the highest rate of return per research dollar leading to the commercialization of technologies.

The ranking was based on productive technology licenses, formation of start-up companies and direct industry research support by Ohio companies. UA was followed by Ohio State and Case Western Reserve universities, both of which have large medical complexes.

In explaining the synergizing effect of research foundations, Proenza notes that UARF has increased UA research funding almost $6 million in the past four years, helped create 21 companies and assisted many more.

“This is a giant step to strengthen and expand the commercialization network and to foster long-term wealth creation in our community,” said UA’s Vice President for Research George Newkome, who is also the president of UARF.

The university has been named an exemplary institution for “successfully advanced innovation partnerships through technology transfer despite their modest research expenditures, rural locations and other challenges” in a study conducted by Innovation Associates Inc. of Reston, Va., and supported by the National Science Foundation.

UA is one of 10 institutions of higher education examined in the report.
While the federal government spends about $141 billion annually on research and development, its expenditures on technology transfer and commercialization are comparatively insignificant, according to the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

“There is a huge gap between patenting an invention and putting it to use in industry,” says Dr. George Newkome, UA’s vice president for research and president of the research foundation. “Thus far, government organizations have done little to bridge the gap, so universities are finding ways to commercialize their technologies without additional financial support.”

“It is gratifying to see that our University of Akron Research Foundation’s commitment to technology transfer efforts is gaining much-deserved attention nationally,” Newkome adds. “This effort relies on the talent and experience of professionals to assist in creating new and inventive partnerships between the university and industry.”

The study cited four examples of The University of Akron’s excellence, including:

• University President Luis M. Proenza’s role in encouraging and fostering productive research: “The university president’s vision can be a critical factor in promoting successful technology transfer: UA’s President Proenza set the course for building research capacity and translating that capacity into innovative commercialization outcomes” the report noted. “Through his strategic leadership, the university has experienced substantial increases in federal research funding and subsequently, increased patents and startups.”

• Focusing on and building and leveraging core strengths: “UA’s strategy of building and leveraging research excellence in polymers and related science and engineering fields has contributed to increased research funding and technology transfer outcomes.”

• Establishing long-term, industrial relationships is another of UA’s sound strategies, the report noted: “UARF works flexibly with corporations and has been willing to forego immediate rewards in order to build relationships for future opportunities. This strategy has been used successfully by technology transfer powerhouses such as Stanford University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and will likely bear fruit for UARF.”

UARF is a not-for-profit organization supporting the university. It has created 21 companies and continues to support research in the region and the university.

• UA’s ongoing New Landscape for Learning campus enhancement initiative also was cited: “UA’s pro-active engagement in improving not only campus buildings and grounds but also the infrastructure and green space around the University has made UA more desirable to prospective students and top faculty. It also sends a message to local business and industry about the University’s commitment to the community.”

Based upon its study of the exemplar institutions, the report makes several recommendations to national policymakers; academic leaders; and state and local governments, organizations and policymakers. It also looks at three issues that affect institutions’ ability to achieve technology transfer: the “valley-of-death” period between initial funding and commercial application; involvement of minority institutions and colleges; and effects on industry-university relations.

UA’s “impressive team of professionals” was also singled out, noting that in 2001, Proenza recruited Newkome as vice president for research. Before coming to UA, Newkome was responsible for the rapid growth in research and technology transfer at the University of South Florida.

Newkome then brought in Kenneth Preston to head the Office of Technology Transfer. Preston, former vice president and senior counsel at TRW, was joined by Wayne Watkins, a leader in technology transfer who helped administer the private Utah Innovation Center that led to the nationally prominent Wayne Brown Institute Venture Accelerator Program in Utah.

Newkome later recruited former industry executives Gordon Schorr and Barry Rosenbaum to augment the university’s technology transfer and commercial expertise as UARF senior fellows.

The Ohio Board of Regents recently ranked the university first in the state for the highest rate of return per research dollar leading to the commercialization of technologies. The ranking was based on productive technology licenses, formation of start-up companies and direct industry research support by Ohio companies. UA was followed by Ohio State and Case Western Reserve universities, both of which have large medical complexes.

One of UA’s technology success stories involves MemPro Ceramics Corp., a Colorado company working with the university to develop industrial filtration products.

“Without a doubt, UARF’s economic development goals for Northeast Ohio have been evident in all our interactions with the university,” says John Finley, MemPro chairman and CEO who recently opened an office in Akron. “Our relationship with UARF has been the single most important factor in attracting us from Colorado.”

Other universities featured in the report include Alfred University (N.Y.), Brigham Young University, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, Iowa State University, Montana State University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Springfield Technical Community College (Ill.), University of Central Florida, and University of North Carolina at Charlotte.