Students from Michigan Tech identify innovations with commercial potential, develop prototypes, qualify the market opportunity and develop strategies to start a company that they can then pursue. Tech initiatives is a branded, ongoing group dedicated to this function.

Researchers at Michigan Tech have utilized the federal SBIR program for startup funding in order to start companies. MTEC SmartZone has offered numerous SBIR seminars to include the types of available SBIR programs, commercialization strategies and individual consultations with a professional SBIR service firm. Plastic Flow and Endres Machining Innovations are SmartZone companies who have benefited from this program.

MTEC collaborates with Michigan Tech in providing information to the university community on the types of collective support that are available. These include how licenses and intellectual property are handled, finding funding sources, faculty/company work requirements, and how to gain access to university labs and equipment. The FastTrac program has been attended by several Michigan Tech faculty and students for basic business plan preparation.

MTEC staff provides guest lectures to classes at Michigan Tech several times throughout the school year for the School of Business, as well as the School of Technology. MTEC has also contributed toward an award for business plan competitions in the Entrepreneurship class.

MTEC SmartZone companies have worked with business class students to develop and refine marketing and business plans. These include, among others, W.C. Bosk Company from Escanaba and New Dimension Crushers in Ontonagon, MI.

The Entrepreneur Support Center is a place where entrepreneurs and small businesses can go to access office space, equipment, training and other start-up resources.

The program also offers product and service businesses entrepreneurial training in every aspect, from business planning and research, to finance, marketing and product development. This center is unique in that it provides entrepreneurs with a short-term office as well as professional guidance to launch the business they are starting