George Baxter has a Ph.D. in organic chemistry, but he was not made for life in the lab. Baxter’s role is expanding the university’s traditional roles of teaching and research to include catalyzing innovation, enterprise and entrepreneurship.
In this film, George Baxter, UC Davis' Chief Innovation and Economic Development Officer, discusses how his role is to help researchers and others at Aggie Square monetize their work through startups and new business ventures. George's previous role at the University of Edinburgh was similar and saw significant successes within their community.
Looking around the U.S. for examples of innovation campuses to learn from, The Aggie Square team has returned again and again to Philadelphia. There, two research universities — Drexel University and University of Pennsylvania — have joined the venerable, research-focused, nonprofit University City Science Center. Not only that, the partnership extends to a canny business district — University City District — providing us both a model and a warning.
Earlier this month, employees from IBM got together at a reception and tour with UC Davis’ Office of Public Scholarship and Engagement and Aggie Square staff for introductions and friendly conversation.
"It will include innovative technologies to help patients get back to their lives faster and healthier, provide opportunities for collaboration with biomedical research, and it will create new economic opportunities for the surrounding community.”
