Introduction

Overview: The Engine

In October 2016, MIT announced the creation of The Engine Accelerator, Inc. (“The Engine”), a pioneering new startup accelerator focused on what MIT President Rafael Reif has called “tough technologies.” These technologies typically are born of scientific research and advances that take more time and more resources to make the journey from lab to market. To create breakthrough solutions to some of society’s most important challenges—renewable energy and energy storage, clean water, noninvasive treatments for Alzheimer’s, low-cost early detection of cancer, Zika, and Ebola—a new model is needed that nurtures high-impact ideas and speeds them into the world. The Engine provides such a model.

An independent entity working with innovators from both within and outside MIT, The Engine advances the Institute’s mission by creating an accelerator and a fund to support early-stage, long-lead innovations with patient capital, affordable space, highly specialized equipment, business services, and technical expertise. Initially, The Engine will target specific technological areas such as the Internet of Things (IoT), advanced manufacturing, biopharma, energy, materials, robotics, deep software, and artificial intelligence and virtual reality. The Engine also will “follow entrepreneurs into new areas that, over time, will create or transform an industry,” according to The Engine CEO Katie Rae. MIT has invested $25 million in The Engine’s initial $150+ million fund. The hope is that The Engine will catalyze innovation on or near the MIT campus, attract millions more in venture capital, and make significant space in Kendall Square and nearby communities available to participating entrepreneurs.

MIT’s commitment to developing transformative technologies that will benefit society as a whole creates an unprecedented opportunity. The Institute is poised to deepen, expand, and accelerate the ways in which its faculty, staff, students, and alumni engage in impactful research, development, and entrepreneurship. To ensure maximum impact, however, MIT must bring the full extent of its considerable resources to bear on the success of The Engine.

The Engine Working Groups

To this end, Provost Martin Schmidt formed a set of faculty-led Engine Working Groups (EWGs) to explore particular areas that could facilitate collaboration between MIT and The Engine. Institute leadership and other key stakeholders identified potential group members representing relevant areas and expertise. The Undergraduate Association, Graduate Student Council, and Postdoctoral Association also contributed to the selection process.

Under the leadership of Professor Anantha Chandrakasan, then Head of the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and current Dean of Engineering, five internal working groups set to work at the end of 2016. The groups comprised faculty, postdocs, students, and staff—all with specialized expertise—from the MIT campus and MIT Lincoln Laboratory. The EWGs focused on five strategic areas of relevance to The Engine. MIT faculty members chaired each of the groups. (See a full list of members in the “Acknowledgements” section of this report.)

• New Models for Technology Licensing—Chair: Timothy Swager, John D. MacArthur Professor, Department of Chemistry
• Facilities Access—Chair: Martin Culpepper, Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering
• Conflict of Interest—Chair: Klavs Jensen, Warren K. Lewis Professor of Chemical Engineering and Professor of Materials Science and Engineering
• Visas for MIT Entrepreneurs—Chair: Dick Yue, Philip J. Solondz Professor of Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering
• MIT’s Innovation Ecosystem—Co-chairs: Vladimir Bulović, Associate Dean for Innovation and Fariborz Maseeh (1990) Professor of Emerging Technology, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; and Fiona Murray, Associate Dean for Innovation and William Porter (1967) Distinguished Professor of Entrepreneurship, MIT Sloan School of Management

Each of these topics offers an opportunity for MIT to review its rules, regulations, norms, and activities to understand how best to improve the Institute in relation to the mission of The Engine. The EWGs have raised important questions. How can we facilitate quicker and more seamless patenting and licensing experiences for startups? Can MIT make its highly specialized equipment and facilities more accessible to new enterprises? How do our conflict of interest (COI) rules help entrepreneurs anticipate and avoid COI? Can we provide more entrepreneurial experiences for our international students? How can MIT’s vibrant innovation ecosystem be enhanced by The Engine? These are essential questions that the EWGs have explored. Each working group was charged with developing a set of procedures to make it easier for members of the MIT community to become involved with The Engine.

The working groups conducted several months of research and engaged in detailed discussions with key stakeholders and topic experts. The EWGs also sought input from the MIT community via a web-based Idea Bank, and shared progress reports at community forums attended by hundreds of members of the community. The process was overseen by an Advisory Committee chaired by Professor Chandrakasan and comprised of the chairs of each working group, Vice President and General Counsel Mark DiVincenzo, Executive Director of the MIT Industrial Performance Center Elisabeth B. Reynolds, and Senior Director for Institute Affairs Glen Comiso. This committee evaluated and forwarded recommendations to Provost Martin Schmidt, Executive Vice President and Treasurer Israel Ruiz, and Vice President for Research Maria Zuber for approval and implementation. 

Guiding Principles

The following guiding principles were observed during the development of the working groups’ recommendations:

• Develop policies, procedures, and programs that accelerate innovations from the MIT ecosystem into The Engine.
• Leverage the unique relationship between MIT and The Engine to develop special collaborative programs.
• Encourage policies and programs that have a broad positive impact on the regional innovation ecosystem (other accelerators, startups, universities, etc.).
• Develop MIT educational opportunities for the Institute community in collaboration with The Engine.
• Provide a seamless transition from MIT innovation programs to real startups (including support for equipment access, mentors, etc.).

Beyond The Engine

President Reif has stated that the process has “allowed us to unlock opportunities to enhance the way MIT innovates even beyond the work of The Engine.” Many of these policies, procedures, and programs will apply to activities unrelated to The Engine, whether they be startups that do not require the resources of The Engine or endeavors supported by other internal or external accelerators.

After the comment period for these recommendations, the MIT Provost evaluated and prioritized final recommendations, and worked to determine the best entities and pathways for implementation and funding.