Google (from Stanford) and Facebook (from Harvard), are two famous examples of platform technologies that began life as a university-based venture or start-up.

Which university will be the source of the next big platform technology?

What role can large commercial firms, such as systems integrators, play in partnering with universities with platform technologies?

Please consider joining the NSF webinar on November 7th at 1:30 EDT, ideally along with a strong university partner that you are working with on some platform technology.

About the NSF funding opportunity
http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=504708

Registering for the NSF webinar
http://www.nsf.gov/eng/iip/pfi/bic.jsp

For example, maybe you are working with a university startup (lead by faculty or students from the university) and they have created a platform technology of some type, to improve complex systems in transportation, water, agriculture, energy, cities, buildings, healthcare, or self-service in retail, hospitality, finance, or infrastructures that impact quality-of-life in regions.   Your role might be as a systems integrator for the new platform technology, or value-add channel to customers.  The university team must be interdisciplinary with platform technology experts, human-social-behavioral experts, systems engineering and business model analysis experts, etc.

For example with cities, IBM is working with many universities creating new platform technologies that fit into our Smarter Cities Intelligent Operations Center.  Many other companies are also working with universities to improve quality-of-life in cities.  See https://service-science.info/archives/2604

For example with self-service retail, both NetFlix and Amazon have worked with university partners to improve recommendation engine based on better algorithms and incentives for helpful human behaviors.  Many other companies are also working with universities on enhanced recommendations engines or predictive analytics for sectors of business and society.  See http://www.kaggle.com

Please let me know if you or a colleague is interested in knowing more about the funding program and webinar.

ISSIP FAQ

Service is defined as the application of knowledge for mutual benefits (value co-creation processes).

Service innovations scale the benefits of new knowledge globally, rapidly, and profitably.

Service innovation depend on both breakthrough technology platforms  (e.g., smart phones), and breakthrough organizational platforms (e.g., smart franchises).

Learn more here.