Indiana University and Cook Medical have struck a five-year agreement that will allow researchers from both organizations to collaborate and innovate, the university announced Tuesday.
Described as IU’s first master collaboration agreement, the deal brings together research expertise from all nine IU campuses and Cook, one of the state’s largest employers.
The partnership is expected to allow ideas to “flow both ways” and remove administrative barriers for researchers and schools to collaborate directly with Cook, company and school officials said in a news release.
The agreement covers a variety of projects and services, including research and development, research services, technical certifications, credentialing, workforce training and technical consulting.
“This collaboration will enable IU’s talented faculty to develop and translate cutting edge research and workforce training into real-world solutions,” IU President Pamela Whitten said in a written statement. “Partnerships like this are crucial to ensure that as Indiana’s flagship university, IU serves our state’s needs, from meeting workforce demands to driving research and development projects that will propel our society and economy forward.”
The IU Launch Accelerator for Biosciences, or IU LAB, based in Indianapolis, will serve as the coordinating organization for projects statewide.
Participants in the partnership’s initial projects will include IU LAB; the Luddy School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering; the Kelley School of Business; and the IU School of Medicine.
“The agreement between IU and Cook, with IU LAB serving as the front door to all of IU, unlocks the ability to work across schools and areas of expertise to tackle complex issues,” Pete Yonkman, president of Cook Medical and Cook Group, said in a written statement.
In 2023, IU announced a $250 million investment intended to position the university as a leader in life sciences and biotechnology innovation. In December 2024, IU received an additional $138 million from Lilly Endowment Inc. to fund construction of a state-of-the-art facility for that work. That building, at the 16 Tech Innovation District on Indianapolis’ west side, is expected to open in 2027.
Yonkman previously gave a nod to a potential future collaboration at IU LAB’s official launch in late January, saying his companies were “the prototype of what a future partner might look like,” and that centers like IU LAB are crucial to keeping Hoosier health care companies on the cutting edge.
In April, IU LAB announced partnerships with Wisconsin-based Gener8tor and California-based Plug and Play to help accelerate the growth of high-potential startups. The university also announced a $4.5 million, three-year sponsorship deal with its associated health system that would rename its accelerator program, making it the IU Health Incubator at IU LAB.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to clarify what the partnership means for IU and Cook.