Innovation Engineering Institute
A joint venture of The University of Maine & the Eureka! Ranch
Innovation Engineering transforms innovation from a random event into a reliable system, a scientific system, for profitable growth. It accomplishes this by creating a culture of never ending innovation within organizations that delivers increased innovation speed (up to 6x) and decreased risk (30 to 80%). Innovation Engineering is a new field of academic study and industrial practice based on a body of knowledge comprised of 48 skills. It is a multi-disciplinary field blending the humanities, engineering, business, and patent law.
The program is lead by the Innovation Engineering Institute, an alliance between the Eureka! Ranch and the University of Maine. The organizing structure for the Innovation Engineering movement is the Innovation Engineering Institute - a joint venture of the University of Maine in Orono, Maine and the Eureka! Ranch of Cincinnati, Ohio.
The driver behind the never-ending improvement of the 48-skill body of knowledge is the Innovation Engineering Black Belt community. This community of change agents is comprised of certified individuals who have demonstrated mastery of the principles and skills required to help organizations Create, Communicate and Commercialize meaningfully unique ideas with increased speed and decreased risk. They are the thought leaders that guide the movement. They make suggestions and problem solve solutions to systemic challenges. They also help one another as they face implementation challenges.
The Innovation Engineering Black Belt change agents exist within companies, colleges, and government agencies. Among those who are investing their time, energy, and money into the movement are large corporations, small companies, governments, colleges and universities, non-profits and non-profit foundations.
The program is lead by the Innovation Engineering Institute, an alliance between the Eureka! Ranch and the University of Maine. The organizing structure for the Innovation Engineering movement is the Innovation Engineering Institute - a joint venture of the University of Maine in Orono, Maine and the Eureka! Ranch of Cincinnati, Ohio.
The driver behind the never-ending improvement of the 48-skill body of knowledge is the Innovation Engineering Black Belt community. This community of change agents is comprised of certified individuals who have demonstrated mastery of the principles and skills required to help organizations Create, Communicate and Commercialize meaningfully unique ideas with increased speed and decreased risk. They are the thought leaders that guide the movement. They make suggestions and problem solve solutions to systemic challenges. They also help one another as they face implementation challenges.
The Innovation Engineering Black Belt change agents exist within companies, colleges, and government agencies. Among those who are investing their time, energy, and money into the movement are large corporations, small companies, governments, colleges and universities, non-profits and non-profit foundations.
The Foster Center for Student Innovation is where UMaine students go for all their innovation and business needs. The Center, which was built in 2005, was named after UMaine alumni Bion ('68) and Dorain ('68) H. Foster, in honor of their generous bequest to the university.
Through the Innovation Center, the University of Maine is able to offer business counseling, informal learning opportunities, free office space for innovative and entrepreneurial students, and the world-class Innovation Engineering program.
From the very beginning, the Eureka! Ranch and the University of Maine have worked hand-in-hand to create the Innovation Engineering academic program, which is offered as both an undergraduate minor and graduate certificate.
The University of Maine taught the first Innovation Engineering course in the fall of 2007 with just a handful of students and only three instructors. In just five years, the program has expanded to include two states, seven campuses, thirty instructors, and more than 500 students.
In 2011, the Blackstone Charitable Foundationcreated Blackstone Accelerates Growth, a $3 million, three-year initiative to help Maine entrepreneurs leading start-up and existing companies get the coaching and training they need to accelerate the growth of their company. As part of this initiative, the University of Maine has been able to award hundreds of Innovation Engineering course scholarships.
Blackstone Accelerates Growth has also funded the Innovate for Maine internship initiative. Through this internship program, students participate in a week-long Innovation Engineering Bootcamp and are then placed with the state's most innovative companies. Almost half of last year's interns were offered full time positions with the companies with which they interned.
Through the Innovation Center, the University of Maine is able to offer business counseling, informal learning opportunities, free office space for innovative and entrepreneurial students, and the world-class Innovation Engineering program.
From the very beginning, the Eureka! Ranch and the University of Maine have worked hand-in-hand to create the Innovation Engineering academic program, which is offered as both an undergraduate minor and graduate certificate.
The University of Maine taught the first Innovation Engineering course in the fall of 2007 with just a handful of students and only three instructors. In just five years, the program has expanded to include two states, seven campuses, thirty instructors, and more than 500 students.
In 2011, the Blackstone Charitable Foundationcreated Blackstone Accelerates Growth, a $3 million, three-year initiative to help Maine entrepreneurs leading start-up and existing companies get the coaching and training they need to accelerate the growth of their company. As part of this initiative, the University of Maine has been able to award hundreds of Innovation Engineering course scholarships.
Blackstone Accelerates Growth has also funded the Innovate for Maine internship initiative. Through this internship program, students participate in a week-long Innovation Engineering Bootcamp and are then placed with the state's most innovative companies. Almost half of last year's interns were offered full time positions with the companies with which they interned.
