University of California, Davis, Chancellor Gary S. May, accepted the 2017 Innovation of the Year honor today (Nov. 7) on behalf of the university at the second annual Sacramento Region Innovation Awards.
鈥淚鈥檓 honored to accept this fantastic award on behalf of the entire 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis community,鈥 May said. 鈥淲e are grateful to be recognized for our innovation, because innovation defines so much of our university mission and spirit.鈥
In the past fiscal year, 14 startup companies were created using technologies developed at 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis and with the help of its program, , AB 2664 funds and business partnerships. Additionally, 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis Extension each year serves up to 60,000 professionals and continuing education students, whose courses and certification programs include entrepreneurship academies in food, agriculture and biomedical engineering.
Prior to arriving on the 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis campus on Aug. 1, May already had his eye on ways that 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis could work with the Sacramento region to expand those opportunities.
FOOD AND AGRIBUSINESS AWARD
Davis
XTB Laboratories Inc., co-founded by Cristina Davis, professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace, took home the Innovation Award in the food and agribusiness category. XTB developed a method that can quickly and noninvasively diagnose a devastating citrus disease known as citrus greening that has cost the citrus industry billions of dollars in lost revenue.
鈥淭his technology is poised to help make a huge difference in early pathogen detection for the citrus industry,鈥 Davis said, 鈥渁nd it can readily be expanded to other agriculture industries in the future.鈥
He asked the crowd to imagine a tech innovation ecosystem in the urban core of Sacramento: a hub as an extension of the 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis campus, one that links the university鈥檚 world-renowned research, faculty and students with local business.
鈥淭his is the working idea that I鈥檓 calling 鈥楢ggie Square,鈥欌 May said.
The concept consists not only of research labs, but also includes housing, retail space and venues for art and music to tie itself to the surrounding community. It is modeled after Atlanta鈥檚 Technology Square, which May had a hand in developing while serving as dean of the College of Engineering at Georgia Tech.
鈥淚鈥檝e already had discussions with Mayor Steinberg and Sacramento business leaders, and I鈥檓 confident we can do something similar with Aggie Square,鈥 May said.
About the awards
The Sacramento Region Innovation Awards are presented by , and the . The awards program recognizes recent business innovations in six categories, honoring the people and organizations that advance new products, services and processes from the regional economy.
Media Resources
Kimberly Hale, 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis News and Media Relations, 530-752-9838, klhale@ucdavis.edu
AJ Cheline, 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis Office of Research, 530-752-1101, acheline@ucdavis.edu