Dear Innovators, Collaborators and Friends of MSU,

Innovation begins with discovery, but its true value is realized when new knowledge moves beyond the university and begins improving lives, strengthening communities and creating new opportunities.

At the MSU Innovation Center, we help make that movement possible. We connect researchers with the expertise, funding, entrepreneurial talent and partners needed to turn promising ideas into practical solutions. We also help companies engage with Michigan State University’s research capabilities and extraordinary talent in ways that address meaningful challenges and create lasting value.

The stories in this year’s annual report demonstrate what can happen when those connections come together.

You will see how engineering human heart models, developed at MSU, could provide more predictive ways to evaluate new therapeutics, and how MSU Technologies and the broader innovation ecosystem helped move that discovery toward commercial application through industry partnership. The work illustrates a future in which human-relevant research models may help improve drug development, disease modeling and regenerative medicine.

You will also learn how Sit Sense, Inc. is advancing smart seating technology designed to help reduce the risk of pressure injuries for people with limited mobility. Its journey from university research toward a commercialization-ready venture reflects the combined value of intellectual property guidance, translational funding, entrepreneurial education, mentorship and regional startup support.

And you will see how a long-standing partnership between MSU and Kraft Heinz has grown into a multifaceted collaboration that advances sustainable packaging research, explores new applications of artificial intelligence and prepares students to become the next generation of packaging leaders. It is a powerful example of how university-industry relationships can evolve beyond individual projects to create sustained value for faculty, students, companies and society.

Although these stories represent different technologies, industries and pathways, they share a common foundation. Each shows that meaningful innovation is rarely the work of one person or organization. It depends on the collaboration of researchers willing to pursue bold questions, students bringing fresh perspectives, companies sharing real-world challenges, investors and economic development partners supporting emerging opportunities, and the team at the MSU Innovation Center to help navigate the path from discovery to impact.

As you explore this year’s annual report, I hope you see more than a collection of accomplishments. I hope you see an innovation ecosystem at work and the extraordinary possibilities that emerge when people unite around a shared commitment to creating a better future.

Thank you to our faculty, students, staff, corporate and community partners, entrepreneurs, investors and friends who make this work possible. Your ideas, expertise and commitment continue to expand what Michigan State innovation can achieve.

With gratitude and optimism for what lies ahead,

CHARLES A. HASEMANN, PHD

Associate VP for Innovation & Economic Development