As the technology licensing office for the University of Southern California, the Stevens Center for Innovation plays a key role in Southern California’s innovation ecosystem.

We license USC discoveries to existing businesses or startup companies so they can be developed into products and services that improve human lives, solve problems, and fuel economic growth. Through licensing discoveries, promoting entrepreneurship, and stimulating innovation, the Stevens Center is helping to create a better future.

Aerial photo of USC Tower

Mission

To maximize the translation of USC research into products for public benefit through licenses, collaborations, and the promotion of entrepreneurship and innovation.

The Stevens Center serves as a university-wide resource that works to move the discoveries of USC researchers from the lab to the marketplace. We manage a broad portfolio of university-owned intellectual property stemming from more than $1 billion in annual research expenditures.

History

Mark Stevens is a USC Viterbi School of Engineering alumnus and current USC Trustee. He is a top-ranked Silicon Valley venture capitalist and longtime university benefactor. Mark is currently the Managing Partner of S-Cubed Capital.

A $22 million endowment by Mark and Mary Stevens in 2004 established the USC Stevens Institute for Technology Commercialization to advance engineering at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering.

In 2007 the name was changed to USC Stevens Center for Innovation and its administrative home moved to the Office of the Provost. This reflected the Stevens Center’s broader focus on all academic disciplines and its new designation as the central resource for managing university-owned intellectual property.