A partnership featuring six stakeholders whose reach stretches from the heart of Happy Valley statewide has produced the TechCelerator @ State College, a business incubator and entrepreneurial support system that opened this week.
Located at 200 Innovation Blvd. in State College, the latest TechCelerator associated with Ben Franklin Technology Partners (this one through the Central and Northern PA branch) is intended to be a one-stop-shop approach to business incubation that promotes an entrepreneurial climate, increasing technology transfer opportunities.
“We believe that co-locating business startup providers and their services creates economies of scale while bringing value and convenience to our clients,” says John Vidmar, director of Ben Franklin's Transformation Business Service Network, in a news release.
It's part of a clear effort at Penn State to create more of a startup culture that seizes on technology transfer opportunities and accelerates them. In December, Penn State VP of Research Hank Foley told Keystone Edge about a groundbreaking policy shift regarding intellectual property and industry-funded research that would yield IP ownership rights to the corporate sponsors and stimulate more real-world problem solving opportunities for students and faculty.
The Penn State Small Business Development Center, Penn State Office of technology Management and Innovation Park at Penn State join Chamber of Business and Industry of Centre County/Centre County Industrial Corporation in the partnership.
Services offered include designated share workspace, on-site business mentors, professional marketing research, startup boot camp sessions for faculty and students, and entrepreneurial training classes.
The same Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Central and Northern PA also opened the TechCelerator @ Carlisle last May at the Murata Business Center as part of a partnership with the Harrisburg Regional Chamber and CREDC.
JOE PETRUCCI is managing editor of Keystone Edge. Send feedback here.
Photos courtesy of TechCelerator @ State College
UPCOMING EVENTS
TechCelerator @ State College
Tuesday, March 13, 2012 – Tax and Bookkeeping – 200 Tech Center, Room 221, 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. ($79 fee) Sponsored by SF&Company.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012 – Cash is King, Cash Flow – 200 Tech Center, Room 221, 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. ($79 fee).
Thursday, March 29, 2012 – The Second Step of Starting a Business | Writing a Business Plan – 200 Tech Center, Room 221, 9:00 a.m. to Noon ($49 fee, sponsored by SPEFCU).
Tuesday, April 3, 2012 – The First Step of Starting a Business – 200 Tech Center, Room 221, 9:00 a.m. to Noon (free).
Thursday, April 11, 2012 – A Look Back, a Look Forward: Partnering Traditional Marketing with a Social; Media Twist – 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. ($49 fee).
Friday, April 13, 2012 – How to Increase Your Website’s Visibility, Rankability and Findability, 9:00 a.m. to Noon ( $49 fee).
Thursday, April 19, 2012 – Introduction QuickBooks – 8:00 a.m. to Noon ($99 fee).
Thursday, April 26, 2012 – Advanced QuickBooks – 8:00 a.m. to Noon ($99 fee).