The Industry Collaborations team connects corporate partners with Vanderbilt's research capabilities to enhance R&D efforts. The team assesses each partner's technology needs and strategically matches them with Vanderbilt's research strengths across the university and medical center, facilitating efficient collaborations across industries, from automotive to pharmaceuticals to defense tech.
For faculty, the team eases administrative burdens and simplifies partnership processes, enabling sharper focus on scientific innovation. By nurturing robust corporate relationships and discovering new strategic alliances, the team forges partnerships that unite innovative minds and drive breakthrough discoveries.
"Collaborations with industry partners unlock the true potential of the critical work our researchers do every day, which is to address societal issues and help solve the most intractable problems. These relationships are bidirectional and require diligence, attention, and trust. Our team provides companies and researchers support in creating, maintaining and growing those relationships to maximize value for all." Chris Rowe, Executive Director of Industry Collaborations
GLOBAL INNOVATION COLLABORATION
Nissha Medical Technologies to Move Global Engineering and Innovation Center to Vanderbilt’s Nashville Campus
Nissha Medical Technologies, the medical devices business unit of Japan’s Nissha Co. Ltd, will occupy space on Vanderbilt's campus, investing $4.5 million in the region. The partnership builds on an existing relationship with EndoTheia, a Vanderbilt-born startup founded by mechanical engineering professor Bob Webster.
Nissha Medical Technologies' decision to relocate its Engineering Center of Excellence to Vanderbilt is a validation of the university's translational research capabilities. The Center of Excellence will include incubator space, specialized labs, and EndoTheia's new headquarters—creating an ecosystem where ideas can mature rapidly with industry guidance and investment.
“Hosting Nissha Medical Technologies at the former site of our Stadium Club on West End Avenue will give our faculty and students extraordinary new opportunities to work with a leader in advancing medical devices—a strategic research priority for Vanderbilt and our region. This partnership also shows what is possible when companies, governments and universities engage in what we at Vanderbilt call radical collaboration—working together in common purpose across sectors and areas of expertise." Vanderbilt Chancellor Daniel Diermeier
Note: This story was adapted from an article in Vanderbilt MyVU.
VANDERBILT RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT
Industry Affiliates Programs
Vanderbilt's Industry Affiliates Programs (IAPs) transform how companies engage with university innovation—creating a strategic on-ramp for organizations seeking early access to emerging technologies and world-class expertise. These membership-based partnerships foster a pre-competitive environment where industry leaders collaborate with Vanderbilt faculty and students before technological challenges become market imperatives.
Vanderbilt's IAP ecosystem spans disciplines critical to tomorrow's challenges. Each program offers tiered membership levels designed to match organizations of different sizes and engagement goals.
These programs cultivate relationships that often evolve into larger strategic partnerships, making IAPs an entry point to Vanderbilt's full innovation capacity.
Programs include:
- Vanderbilt Lab for Immersive AI Translation (VALIANT)
- Vanderbilt Institute for Surgery and Engineering (VISE)
- Vanderbilt Biophotonics Center (VBC)
- Vanderbilt Institute for Nanoscale Science and Engineering (VINSE)
- Vanderbilt Center for Sustainability, Energy, and Climate
- LIVE Learning Innovation Incubator
- Institute of National Security
- Amplify Center for Generative AI (AGI)
Email the Industry Collaborations team to explore partnering through the Industry Affiliates Program.