Zachary R. Miles, Esq., Interim Vice President in the Office of Economic Development at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Executive Director of the UNLV Research Foundation, and I-Corps Project Director (UNLV), helps lead the university’s efforts to advance research commercialization and regional economic development. As a partner university in the NSF I-Corps Hub: Desert and Pacific Region, UNLV collaborates with peer institutions to provide faculty, postdocs, graduate students, and select local startup companies access to structured customer discovery training opportunities and commercialization resources.

We spoke with Zach about the role I-Corps plays at UNLV, why customer discovery is an essential step in the innovation process, and how building a culture of commercialization strengthens both researchers and the broader regional ecosystem.

What challenge does NSF I-Corps address for universities and researchers seeking to move innovations into the marketplace?

Many times we receive invention disclosures and are just not 100% sure where to go with them. NSF I-Corps provides the necessary training and programmatic approach to help construct a pathway for that given technology, pressure-test it to ensure it is a viable commercial opportunity, and determine the next steps to continue validating it and move it along the technology readiness level pathway.

Additionally, it helps inform inventors and researchers of the value of commercialization, encourages them to think through the potential for life-changing products and services, creates applied learning opportunities for their students, and supports economic development in the region.

Many researchers are experts in science but not entrepreneurship. How does NSF I-Corps help bridge that gap?

I-Corps provides the educational opportunity not only through participating in the training but also by connecting them with other like-minded researchers. It also exposes them to other educational resources, as well as physical and programmatic assets for learning, and how this affects their technologies, careers, and overall benefits to their activities.

How does participating in customer discovery change the way innovators think about their ideas?

I think in many instances it opens their eyes to how others view their particular technology. Researchers are so very passionate about what they do. Seeing it through the eyes of customers, how it solves problems and can change their lives, or perhaps how it could be modified to change their lives, supports what the researchers are doing or gives them ideas on how to advance their research in the future to impact lives through commercialization.

Why is validating product–market fit early so critical for university-developed technologies?

Validating problem–solution fit early avoids spending resources that could otherwise be deployed elsewhere or honing them in and maximizing their impact. For example, obtaining the best patent, hiring the right Entrepreneur-in-Residence, identifying additional state and federal support, and presenting the right pitch to venture and other capital sources.

What skills do participants gain through NSF I-Corps that traditional academic training may not provide?

It provides applied learning on ideation to commercial impact. A hands-on approach makes it real versus filing the information away in the back of the brain.

Where does NSF I-Corps fit within the broader innovation pipeline — from early idea to startup formation?

Validation of the idea and a go/no-go decision to continue to pursue the idea and utilize resources to move it forward along the commercialization path. I would not say that it stops or stands in any one area. Although it focuses on the early stages of commercialization, the relationships that are made and the skills and tools acquired translate across the entire spectrum, from idea to the actual launch of products and services.

For more information or to get started, visit https://www.unlv.edu/econdev/researchers-faculty/nsf-icorps or reach out to the NSF I-Corps @ UNLV team directly at i-corps@unlv.edu.