About TEC

In 1994, Drs. Angus Kingon and Stephen Markham received close to $1 million in combined grant money from the National Science Foundation and the Kenan Institute for Engineering, Technology and Science to study technology commercialization. The goal of their research was to discover the deficiencies found in current technology transfer practices, then develop a tool to bring structure to the commercialization process and as a teaching aid. The results of this comprehensive study helped form a "roadmap" of the technology commercialization process. This 'roadmap', commonly referred to as the 'TEC Algorithm', provides a multi-semester teaching framework for the technology commercialization concentration in the MBA program.

From 1995 to 2002, the operations of the Technology, Education and Commercialization (TEC) Program, focused on educating business and technical graduate students in technology entrepreneurship and commercialization. In 2002, the TEC Program transitioned into the Technology Entrepreneurship and Commercialization (TEC) center in the College of Management and officially hired Angus Kingon as Executive Director of Technology Commercialization Programs. TEC's expanded activities involve extension and engagement for the College of Management.

Since 1995, TEC has graduated over 200 students. Their efforts have helped to raise more than $120 million in funding for clients and new ventures created in the class; accounting for more than 250 new jobs in the Research Triangle area. (See TEC Successes)

The Algorithm and TEC philosophy have been used by the TEC team to consult with large and small corporations all over the world and as a benchmark for other research universities active in technology commercialization education.