WEST HAVEN, CT / BOSTON, MA / HARTFORD, CT — The University of New Haven, FORGE, and NextMinds (formerly the Connecticut Invention Convention), today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that establishes Connecticut Invents, a first-of-its-kind collaborative framework to support the commercialization of student-created inventions originating from Invention Convention, a premier STEM education program that teaches students problem-solving, entrepreneurship, and creativity by developing their own inventions.
The landmark agreement creates a comprehensive ecosystem in which student inventors can transfer their patents, receive full tuition support, and benefit from expert guidance at every stage of the commercialization journey.
Under the terms of the MOU, the University of New Haven will provide selected student inventors a tuition-free, four-year undergraduate education who transfer ownership of their patents to the University. In return, University of New Haven will assume full responsibility for IP maintenance, legal protections, and commercialization leadership, while supplying entrepreneurial resources, research facilities, and faculty mentorship.
FORGE will contribute commercialization expertise, including prototyping connections, manufacturing resources, product development advisory services, and industry strategy. NextMinds and its flagship Invention Convention program will serve as a critical youth talent pipeline, guiding the most marketable of its 10,000+ annual inventors towards the novel program.
The partnership was brought together by Paul Lavoie, Vice President of Innovation and Applied Technology at University of New Haven, who recognized an opportunity to unite the three organizations around NextMinds CEO Nick Briere’s vision of creating a structured, supported pathway for young inventors emerging from the Invention Convention to bring their ideas to full commercialization.
"When Nick Briere shared his vision for taking student inventions from the Invention Convention all the way through commercialization, I knew we had the pieces to make it real."
Lavoie is spearheading the development of the University’s Elevation Center, which serves as a hub for applied research, entrepreneurship, and industry collaboration. Connecticut Invents will be housed in The Elevation Center.
"What this collaboration represents is more than a business agreement. It is a promise that University of New Haven will meet talented young inventors where they are, back them with every resource at our disposal, and walk with them from that first spark of an idea to a product in the world."
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