The Innovation Reactor is a unique MIT program structured around a full-credit subject, i-Teams (10.807/15.371), joint between MIT Engineering and MIT Sloan.
The Innovation Reactor convenes our extended community around an educational experience. Students from all disciplines work together to discover avenues for impact using technology. The program develops students into multidisciplinary innovation professionals and offers Principal investigators a fresh viewpoint on the potential impact of their discoveries.
Every semester, we assemble teams around 8-12 technologies from MIT labs (and select partner institutions). These technologies provide a tangible starting point to immerse students in an innovation adventure. Teams have access to faculty, practitioners, business mentors, and fellow students throughout their project.
140+ technologies from 100+ MIT Labs across all domains
500+ alumni
In High demand from MIT and beyond
From MIT’s 5 schools. grad, undergrad, and postdocs + Harvard (HKS, HBS, FAS, Medical), BU, Alumni Network, and students associated with Skolkovo Tech, Portugal, Brazil, LSE, …
The process of the Innovation Reactor has helped bring numerous MIT technologies to the world:
Lantos, Viztu, Eta devices, Arctic Sand, Manus Biosciences, Eyenetra, Liquiglide, Novophage …
"this process […] mimics the challenges each growing technology is facing on the road to commercialization. i-Teams is as close to reality as one can get."
-- MIT PhD Candidate Aero Astro
"I have applied this process on my project and found several new potential applications. I have already started collaboration to explore this new ideas and more might follow."
-- MIT Postdoc Fellow School of Science
"i-Teams class transforms MIT technologies to the ones that can impact the world. I have had many good classes at MIT; i-Teams is the one that has been life-changing for me."
-- MIT PhD Candidate Biological Engineering
I came to MIT to focus on innovation. For two semesters, I struggled to find a class that focused on innovation at the time that combined Sloan and the MIT ecosystem. This class effectively bridged the gaps and allowed me to learn from Courses 2, 4, 6, provided me access to the MIT ecosystem, the Broad and Koch Institutes, and to the most sophisticated companies conducting nanotechnology research.
-- Sloan Fellow
As time passes, I've found myself appreciating the i-Teams experience more and more. Although frustrating at times, it is one of few classes that made me think and caused me to change my mind.
-- Sloan MBA
Luis Perez-Breva (MIT Engineering)
Director and Lead Instructor
Innovation Reactor Alchemist since 2007
Fiona Murray (MIT Sloan)
Advisor
Alchemist since 2008
Noubar Afeyan (MIT Sloan)
Advisor
Alchemist since 2010
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