Office of Research Translation and Industry Alliances (ORTIA)
Advancing Research from Discovery to Impact
The Office of Research Translation and Industry Alliances, or ORTIA, connects UNC Charlotte faculty and researchers with industry partners, startups, investors, funding pathways, market opportunities, and government collaborators that can help move discoveries toward broader use, adoption, and measurable impact.
As part of the Division of Research, ORTIA supports the research translation process by helping protect and develop university intellectual property, identify potential applications, build strategic collaborations, support startup and licensing opportunities, and advance discoveries beyond campus.
What We Do
ORTIA brings together expertise in research translation, intellectual property, technology transfer, new ventures and startups, and industry alliances to help move promising research toward application, partnership, and broader economic and societal benefit.
Research Translation and Translation Intelligence
Research translation is the process of moving discoveries from the lab toward application, adoption, and impact by connecting UNC Charlotte research with the industry partners, government agencies, funding programs, and commercial pathways that help put it to work.
Through our Translation Intelligence function, ORTIA works across UNC Charlotte’s research ecosystem to identify promising research early, understand faculty expertise and emerging technologies, and align discoveries with industry needs, government priorities, funding opportunities, and pathways for further development. Our goal is to make it easier for researchers to explore how their work can move beyond publication toward application, partnership, and impact, with expert support, honest guidance, and access to the right connections when the timing is right.
New Ventures and Industry Alliances
This is where research becomes partnership, and partnership becomes impact. Our New Ventures and Industry Alliances team builds and manages the relationships that connect companies, government agencies, investors, entrepreneurs, and community partners with UNC Charlotte’s research strengths.
Through industry alliance development, company needs assessments, startup and spinout support, and partnership opportunities across the Millennial Campus, including at PORTAL, the team creates strategic collaborations that advance industry-sponsored research, venture formation, and innovation-driven economic growth in the Charlotte region and beyond. Whether you are exploring a research partnership, considering a spinout, or seeking a home for your company alongside a leading research university, this team is the front door.
Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer
This is where research is protected, valued, and made ready for the market. Our IP and Technology Transfer team supports UNC Charlotte faculty and researchers through every stage of the intellectual property process, from invention disclosure and patent protection to technology marketing and licensing.
The team helps safeguard university-developed inventions and discoveries, evaluates technologies for commercial potential, connects them with licensing partners and startup opportunities, negotiates and manages licensing agreements, and works closely with faculty to ensure their work receives the protection and recognition it deserves. Whether you are a faculty inventor exploring your options, a company interested in licensing UNC Charlotte technology, or a founder building a startup around university research, this team is your partner through the process
How We Support Faculty, Researchers, and Partners
ORTIA helps move ideas from discovery to impact by supporting:
- Faculty and researcher engagement around translational research opportunities
- Invention disclosures, patent protection, intellectual property strategy, and licensing
- Partner matchmaking that connects industry, investors, and government to UNC Charlotte’s faculty, centers, and institutes
- Startup formation, spinout ventures and pathways for bringing university research to market
- Millennial Campus and PORTAL business partner engagement
- Inventor recognition programs, including Invention of the Year and National Academy of Inventors engagement
Why Work with ORTIA?
UNC Charlotte is a nationally recognized research university located in one of the fastest-growing metropolitan regions in the country. Our faculty, research centers, institutes, students, and industry and government collaborators work together to address complex challenges and develop practical solutions with economic and social value.
ORTIA is where those connections come together.
Whether you are a faculty member exploring the commercial potential of your research, a company looking for university expertise, an entrepreneur interested in university-developed technologies, or a partner seeking to engage with UNC Charlotte’s research ecosystem, ORTIA can help you find the right starting point and stay with you through every step that follows.
Connect with Us
Interested in learning more, exploring a research collaboration, licensing a UNC Charlotte technology, connecting with faculty expertise, or scheduling a tour of PORTAL?
Contact the Office of Research Translation and Industry Alliances at:
Email: ortia@charlotte.edu
Phone: 704-687-8012