Office of Innovation and Strategic Partnerships

Industry & Partnership Engagement

The Office of Innovation & Strategic Partnerships works with industry leaders, entrepreneurs, investors, and subject matter experts to advance UT San Antonio innovations toward real-world impact. Through a variety of engagement opportunities, OISP connects external expertise with faculty innovation to strengthen development, inform strategy, and accelerate commercialization.

Ways to Engage

OISP offers multiple pathways for industry and entrepreneurial leaders to engage with the university — whether through mentorship, advisory roles, program participation, or strategic collaboration.

Workshop Subject Matter Experts

OISP regularly engages industry professionals as guest speakers and subject matter experts within its commercialization and startup education programs.

These engagements provide faculty and research teams with real-world perspectives while offering experts an opportunity to contribute to innovation education and ecosystem development.

Express Interest

Strategic Alliances & Partnerships

OISP builds and manages strategic relationships with external partners to advance institutional priorities, expand innovation pathways, and support commercialization and programmatic goals.

Through collaborative partnerships, OISP works to align university innovation with industry needs, shared objectives, and long-term impact opportunities.

Express Interest

Key Opinion Leader (KOL) Network

Aligned with OISP’s goal of advancing innovations toward patient and societal benefit, the KOL Network is comprised of industry, clinical, and venture professionals who bring real-world perspective to emerging technologies.

KOLs share subject matter expertise, market insight, and strategic feedback to help assess opportunity potential, inform development direction, and strengthen pathways to commercialization.

Become a Key Opinion Leader

Entrepreneur-in-Resident (EIR) Program

OISP’s Entrepreneur-in-Resident Program connects experienced entrepreneurs with faculty innovations to support the translation of research into market-ready solutions.

Entrepreneurs-in-Resident collaborate with faculty teams to assess commercial strategy, refine value propositions, and guide early venture development — while faculty remain in their academic roles.

This program offers entrepreneurs a unique opportunity to engage with cutting-edge research, contribute expertise, and help shape the next generation of innovation.

Through collaborative partnerships, OISP works to align university innovation with industry needs, shared objectives, and long-term impact opportunities.

Become an Entrepreneur-in-Resident

Venture Mentoring Service (VMS)

The Venture Mentoring Service connects experienced industry professionals, entrepreneurs, and investors with emerging innovation teams through structured, confidential mentorship.

VMS mentors volunteer their time to share insight, ask critical questions, and support innovation teams as they navigate commercialization and venture development challenges.

Become a VMS Mentor