The Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) has approved a $200,000 Strategic Infrastructure Program grant to support the work of protostudios, a University of Iowa-managed, state-of-the-art, rapid-prototyping facility located in the MERGE co-lab space in downtown Iowa City. Protostudios works with clients to develop fully functional prototypes of inventions allowing them to test, redesign, and...

Having clear and up-to-date protocols and policies around intellectual property (IP) is critically important for moving discovery at the University of Iowa forward. It ensures that inventions by faculty and staff are clearly identified, adequately protected, and leveraged in a way that benefits the inventor, the university, and the public—should the IP eventually translate into a commercial...

This afternoon, representatives from University of Iowa Office of Research and Economic Development (OVPR&ED), the City of Iowa City, the Iowa City Area Development Group (ICAD), and the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center hosted a grand opening of three new economic development resources: MERGE, protostudios and the Translational Research Incubator (TRI).

University of Iowa Office of Research and Economic Development (OVPR&ED), the City of Iowa City, the Iowa City Area Development Group (ICAD), and the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center are hosting a grand opening for MERGE and protostudios on June 15 from 3:30 – 5:30 p.m. The new collaboration space for entrepreneurs is housed at 136 S. Dubuque Street on the pedestrian mall in downtown Iowa...

Have you ever had a great idea and though “someone should do that”? Sometimes you have to be the change you want to see. With generous support from Iowa Economic Development Authority, the University of Iowa Office of the Vice President for Research and Economic Development is debuting its prototyping facility “protostudios” tomorrow at EntreFEST – which bills itself as the largest gathering of...

After a 38-year engineering career, Neil Quellhorst’s retirement years aren’t being lived on the golf course. He was recently hired by MERGE, a collaborative design and prototype lab geared toward entrepreneurs in tech fields, to serve as engineering prototype director. In his long career beginning with a series of small, entrepreneurial companies, then with Honeywell and later Rockwell Collins...

The Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) today announced a $1.5 million grant for a cutting-edge biomedical and electronics prototyping hub, called protostudios, to support small businesses and train students in Iowa. Protostudios will be located within downtown Iowa City’s MERGE space in the former Wedge pizzeria on the west side of the Iowa City Public Library building. MERGE, expected to...