But an injectable medical dye being developed by the University of Utah's chemistry department might offer a better way for surgeons to see where a cancerous tumor begins and ends. "The dye, which is visible under a fluorescent light, will allow surgeons to do more precise and less damaging surgery procedures," says Jack Brittain, dean of the U.'s David Eccles School of Business. If everything goes as planned, the dye will be among innovations considered for commercialization by the U.'s new Tech Ventures Office, which Brittain oversees.

Earlier this year, U. President Michael Young - along with Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. - chose the 52-year-old Brittain to oversee the university's new directive to identify emerging technologies produced in research labs, assess their potential for commercial use, and - if they seem viable - move them to the marketplace through startup companies.

The goal is to integrate commercialization with the U.'s core educational and research missions, Brittain said. "By encouraging firms to start up in Utah and build partnerships with the university, we have an opportunity to establish new companies with high-quality jobs."

Brent Miller, vice president for research at Utah State University and Brittain's counterpart at the state's No. 2 research university, is leading similar efforts in Logan.

Both say the concept is not new. Over the past 20 years, the U. and USU have launched more than 180 startup companies.

The ventures include Evans and Sutherland, Myriad Genetics, HyClone Laboratories, Sorenson Communications, NPS Pharmaceuticals and ARUP, to name a few.

What's new this time is that the state is investing in the effort.

Last year, the Legislature allocated $7.5 million in seed money to the two research universities to put science and technology into practice. The money is used to hire research teams, acquire lab equipment and develop an economic strategy under USTAR, or Utah Science, Technology and Research, as the economic development initiative has been named.

Of the initial public investment, the U. got $3 million for new equipment. Another $4 million was split 60/40 between the U. and USU to bring in established, well-funded research teams. The remaining $500,000 paid for a study of issues surrounding technology transfer and to come up with the USTAR proposal.

The plan calls for the state to invest $973.8 million over 30 years. In return, the U. and USU will bring in $4.9 billion in license fees, private donations and research dollars, create 422 Utah-based companies, resulting in an estimated 123,406 high-wage jobs, paying $62 billion in salaries by 2035, according to projections made by the U.'s Bureau of Economic and Business Research.

Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce President Lane Beattie said there are few, if any, viable economic regions in the country that are not tied directly to a research university.

California's "Silicon Valley didn't just happen, it happened because of Stanford University," he said. "Higher education, especially the part played by research universities, is the engine for our future economic growth."

The U. at one time was a world leader in personal computing, Beattie said. A number of software developers, including Atari founder Nolan Bushnell, got their start there, but the state didn't take advantage of the talent it fostered, he added.

"Utah needs to be more aggressive." Beattie said.

That's what Brittain aims to be. He traverses the U. campus learning about the latest research and budding technology developments. Recently, he spent much of a day at Idaho Technology, a U. Research Park-based biotech firm that develops, manufactures and sells DNA analysis devices and other disease-detection equipment used by the military and homeland security personnel.

"We have some great research going on here, and we are taking careful steps to make sure it works," Brittain said.

For his part, Beattie is happy the state has decided to put "our money where our mouth is and say, 'We are willing to make the investment.'

"We can't continue to produce wonderful and bright people who end up leaving the state because there are no jobs that pay enough to support a family."

sykes@sltrib.com

USTAR

Utah Science, Technology and Research is an economic development initiative that seeks to commercialize high-tech and medical innovations created by the state's research universities.

Purpose:

Create and spin off new businesses and industries in Utah

Create better-paying jobs

Expand the state's tax base

Why it's important:

In 1981, the average salary in Utah was 96 percent of the national average. Today it's 82 percent. Doing a better job of creating high-paying in-state jobs could help bridge the gap.

For more information, visit the USTAR Web site at http://www.ustaredi.org.