MADISON—WiSys was named a “Global Good Practice” in June.

The WiSys story was recognized by the University Industry Innovation Network at the organization’s 2020 University-Industry Interaction Conference.

WiSys and University of Wisconsin System leaders presented their case study to hundreds of leaders from around the world at the conference, which was held virtually this year.

The main theme of the presentation, “Innovation and the Wisconsin Idea: Undergraduate Research, Entrepreneurship,and Technology Transfer,” was that “innovation doesn’t just happen in big cities and at large universities.”

WiSys provides a shared service of research, innovation, and entrepreneurship support for the 11 regional comprehensive and primarily undergraduate universities: UW-Eau Claire, UW-Green Bay, UW-La Crosse, UW Oshkosh, UW-Parkside, UW-Platteville, UW-River Falls, UW-Stevens Point, UW-Stout, UW-Superior, and UW-Whitewater.

“Through the years, WiSys has increasingly helped to foster and promote discovery and innovation at each UW campus and in every university city across Wisconsin. By interconnecting the research mindset among and within these regional UW System entities dispersed across a large geographic area, WiSys has inspired and enabled innovation to flourish more broadly throughout the entire UW System and across the state for the benefit of all Wisconsin residents,” the case study paper states.

The presentation, and the companion case study paper, was co-authored by WiSys President Arjun Sanga, University of Wisconsin–River Falls Chancellor Dr. Dean Van Galen, University of Wisconsin-Parkside Chancellor Dr. Deborah Ford and Interim Vice President, Office of Corporate Relations & Economic Engagement, UW System, David Brukardt.

University Industry Innovation Network is committed to driving innovation and entrepreneurship through university-industry interaction. Dedicated to sharing knowledge, discovering solutions and building relationships, the network hosts the largest conference in the field, educates the leaders of tomorrow through its workshops and is involved in generating new knowledge in various European research projects.

WiSys is a nonprofit organization that works with faculty, staff, students, and alumni of the UW System to facilitate cutting-edge research programs, develop and commercialize discoveries and foster a spirit of innovative and entrepreneurial thinking across the state.