Standing for Innovation, De-Risking and Enterprise Acceleration, the IDEA Center is a unique resource for all commercialization and entrepreneurial activities at the University of Notre Dame. The Center provides the necessary space, services, and expertise for idea development, commercialization, business formation, prototyping, entrepreneurial education, and student entrepreneurial efforts and is available to any University researcher and student with an idea they want to commercialize.

The IDEA Center offers a variety of services and resources for faculty and student inventors at all stages of ideation beyond the initial invention disclosure. A Lean Canvas Program provides inventors with a team-based approach to the early stage evaluation of a technology and brings the idea into the Center's commercialization engine. The Commercialization Engine has milestone-based funding available to help develop and de-risk technologies that meet certain requirements. The IDEA Center is located within Innovation Park, our University's growing technology entrepreneurship facility which provides collaboration and maker space to catalyze business acceleration.

By working with industry to translate the University’s research discoveries into solutions for the world’s most pressing problems in the 21st century, we can fulfill our founding mission to be a “force for good” in an especially impactful way. Notre Dame California is a liaison between the IDEA Center and the innovation ecosystem of the West Coast.

A searchable database of Notre Dame inventions and technologies available for licensing as well as other opportunities for partnerships can be found on the IDEA Center website. California companies with questions about licensing Notre Dame intellectual property and faculty expertise are encouraged to contact Notre Dame California.