The I-Corps (Innovation Bodies for its acronym in English) is an initiative officially created in July 2012 by the National Science Foundation (NSF) in the United States of America.

Its objective is to provide methodological tools to researchers and students that allows them to identify problems in the industry of interest and to solve them through the inventions and technologies developed in their laboratories.

The I-Corps program consists of enabling with knowledge and tools based on the Canvas of the Business Model and the Customer Discovery process of the Lean Startup methodology, to academic teams to validate the commercial potential of the technological developments, broadening its focus beyond its work within its university laboratories. The program helps researchers design a technological marketing scheme or generation of companies around their research.

With the I-Corps methodology it is possible to validate its feasibility outside the classrooms and generate solid business models with greater probability of success.

At the end of the I-Corps program, the participants:

  • Recognize the importance of market validation, so that the results of their research have a greater opportunity to reach society.
  • Identify the importance of sounding the problems or needs of the market, which allows them to offer technological solutions based on the right requirements.
  • Establish the level of technological maturity for each project, this through the methodological analysis known as Technology Readiness Level (TRL).
  • Will be trained in: customer discovery, business model, CANVAS and TRL.
  • Identify the critical path that allows deciding the next steps in the development, maturation or commercialization of their technologies.

Innovation Nodes Organization

NoBI´s IN México


  • Binational Universtity Node of Innovation NoBI

  • North NoBI

  • Advance Manufacturing ald Processes NoBI (NoBI MAP)

  • Health Innovation NoBI

  • Bajío NoBI

  • SouthEast NoBI

  • NorthWest NoBI

  • Energy Innovation NoBI

Sites

  • Universities or Research Center Partners of each NoBI
    		•

    Instructors

  • Accredited by NSF and CONACYT
    		•

    Teams


    • Principal Investigator

    • Entrepreneur Leader

    • Business Mentor

    What will I do in the I-Corps program?

    The I-Corps Curriculum is based on the Lean Startup methodology of Steven Blank. It is adapted to researchers’ profiles and centered in the Customer Discovery.

    During 7 or 8 weeks, the participating teams will be trained on how to commercialize the innovation technologies. Each team will do at least 100 interviews with possible clients to understand better the market needs. This will complement the technical information developed at the labs and improve their prototypes to come up with a minimum viable product (MVP) to start with its commercialization.

    I-Corps program within the University-NoBI

    The University NoBI is formed by two sites: Innovation and Development Coordination (CID) from UNAM and the Business Accelerator IDERSA from Anáhuac Mexico University. Both sites have designed previous and final activities that will enrich the I-Corps program. This will provide more and better tools to the teams at the NoBI so the university technologies can get to the market easier.

    Participating teams :

    23 teams from UNAM and/or Anahuac Mexico University. These should have at least three team members:

    Team members’ characteristics and functions during the program are:

    What will I do in the I-Corps program?

    By the end of the I-Corps program, participants will:

    • Recognize the market validation importance, so their research results have a higher opportunity to get to society.
    • Identify the significance of sounding out the market problems or needs, to offer technological solutions based on those requirements.
    • Establish the technological maturity for each project through the analytical methodology known as Technology Readiness Level (TRL).
    • Be trained on Customer Discovery, business model CANVAS and TRL.
    • Identify the Critical Route to decide the next steps regarding the development, maturing or commercialization of their technologies.

    Binational Innovation Nodes results

    Through the program and under the guidance and teaching of the instructors selected by CONACYT and the National Science Foundation, the teams manage to establish a dialogue with key actors for the development of their research projects, through dynamics that strengthened their capacities and skills for linking and analysis, obtaining findings turned into validated business models, that give them the opportunity to explore routes towards technology-based entrepreneurship, or the licensing of their technologies.

    I-Corps’ instructors

    Accredited instructors from the National Science Foundation y CONACYT.