The Office of Business Engagement (OBE) is here to help you build strong, strategic relationships with industry partners. We bring deep knowledge of the industry landscape and strong relationships across both the business community and UW–Madison, helping you navigate opportunities that align with your goals. We can help you explore opportunities such as direct funding, joint research, mentorship of student projects, equipment donations, and many others. Here are a few helpful resources; please contact us with any questions.
Community of Practice
- The Industry Engagement Collective (IEC) is a Community of Practice hosted by the Office of Business Engagement. All UW–Madison faculty, staff, and affiliates who pursue and/or support university-industry partnerships are welcome to participate. The IEC meets monthly and offers a range of educational and networking opportunities. To join, please email inquiries@obe.wisc.edu to be added to our distribution list.
Self-Service Tools
- DAPIR (Data, Academic Planning & Institutional Research) provides access to tools such as Steppingblocks that help you find alumni at a variety of organizations.
- Search for research activity and potential collaborators across campus with RABBIT, an AI-powered tool developed to help industry engagement offices on campus connect faculty with applied research opportunities. UW–Madison faculty and staff and WARF employees can access RABBIT using NetID. Data available include maps of UW–Madison faculty collaborations and publicly available information about faculty members’ articles, grants, patents, sponsorships and agreements.
Professional Associations
- UIDP: The University Industry Demonstration Partnership (UIDP) is a recognized leader in addressing issues impacting academic-corporate collaboration, providing a unique forum for our member representatives to find better ways to partner. UW-Madison has an institutional membership for UIDP. You can register for a free account using your wisc.edu email address to review resources and sign up for events.
- NACRO: The Network of Academic Corporate Relations Officers (NACRO) unifies academic corporate relations professionals worldwide, empowering them through a network of peers, tools, and dynamic professional development to forge high-impact university-industry partnerships. Membership fees are required to join this association.
Sponsored Research
- Badger IP Industry Advantage is UW–Madison’s streamlined approach to transforming discoveries into innovative solutions, providing tiered options for Intellectual Property (IP) licensing tied to sponsored research conducted with industry partners.
- Are you working with a company and need common forms for agreements? Find them on our Sponsored Research page.
More Resources
- Review a variety case studies on industry partnerships at UW-Madison.
- Explore campus resources for entrepreneurs.
- Looking to publicize news about your work? Start with the Office of Strategic Communication.
Need more direction? Contact our office and we can help you make the connections you need to be successful.
Learn more about industry engagement at UW–Madison
Join us for “Introduction to Industry Collaborations,” an informational session to be held Tuesday, March 10, 2026. All members of the UW–Madison community who want to learn more about partnering with businesses, improve existing strategy, or support industry engagement work are welcome. Find out more and register to attend.