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MIT and Industry

Since its founding, MIT has fostered a problem-solving approach that encourages researchers to work together across departments, fields, and institutional boundaries. The resulting collaborations have included thousands of fruitful partnerships with industry and other leading research institutions.

Currently, over 700 companies are working with faculty and students both in Institute-wide programs such as the Industrial Liaison Program and the MIT Energy Initiative, and in smaller collaborations. Among these corporate sponsors are such global leaders as BAE, BP, Du Pont, eni, Ford Motor, Google, Intel, Lockheed Martin, Novartis, Quanta Computer, Raytheon, Samsung, Sanofi, Shell, Siemens, and TOTAL.

Research sponsored directly by industry totaled $133 million in fiscal year 2012, or 20 percent of all MIT research funding. According to the National Science Foundation, MIT ranks first in industry-financed research and development and development expenditures among all universities and colleges without a medical school.

Part of the Office of Corporate Relations, the Industrial Liaison Program is the largest conduit between corporations and MIT. More than 200 companies partner with the program to improve their access to MIT and advance their research agendas.

The Technology Licensing Office (TLO) oversees MIT’s vibrant patenting and licensing activity. Fiscal year 2012 saw 706 new invention disclosures and $148 million in total licensing income. The TLO’s mission is to benefit the public by moving the results of MIT research into societal use via technology licensing, through a process that is consistent with academic principles, demonstrates a concern for the welfare of students and faculty, and conforms to the highest ethical standards. This process benefits the public by creating new products and promoting economic development.

MIT Sloan Executive Education provides mid- to senior-level executives with the tools and frameworks needed to create and lead successful organizations. Its programs are led by senior faculty, and combine innovation and entrepreneurship with strategic thinking and global leadership. MIT Professional Education provides engineering, science, and technology professionals a gateway to renowned MIT expertise, research, and knowledge through advanced education programs designed for working professionals.

MIT's strong corporate connection also is reflected in its extensive business-oriented curriculum, many spearheaded by the MIT Sloan School of Management in collaboration with other schools. Examples include: