Well, welcome to the halfway point of 2008.  That went quick, didn’t it?  What started out as a slow month, ended on a high note with lots of positive announcements throughout the region.  We’ve summarized a nice selection after the break.

June also saw one of the blogs we follow “going dark”, as they say.  Chris Varley’s Tech Futures blog, which grew out of a NorTech study around technology-based economic development, signed off this month with the following note:

The TechFutures site will remain up for some time to come, but this will be the last blog post in this forum.  As NorTech adapts to the changes around it, new priorities are emerging and new initiatives are being launched.  We invite you to revisit the stories and history of this project here on this site, but even more than that we encourage you to get and stay involved in the new projects NorTech and other economic development groups in the region pursue in the months and years to come.

Continued

Akron Global Business Accelerator tenant MAR Systems was in the news over the weekend.  Read the full story here.

MAR Systems is developing a new process for removing dangerous heavy metals from industrial waste streams and drinking water.  They have received around $1M in investment capital to date and are looking to bring on a CEO and technical staff.  With obvious huge potential, this is a company to watch.

You might also enjoy reading this article recognizing Akron’s award from the National Civic League as an All-American City.  This is the third time Akron has received the award and this year the momentum generated by the AGBA was featured on the application.

With nighttime lows that have dipped into the 30’s recently, it’s hard to believe we are making the turn into Summer, but here we are in June already.  The temperatures are quickly on the rise (if only the Indian’s bats were heating up as well), and the Summer Solstice is only a couple weeks away.

Lot’s of good economic development news hit in May.  Selfishly, we here at NEOinc are most proud of Mike LeHere’s award by the National Business Incubation Association as the top incubator innovator of 2008.  Mike is the CEO of the Akron Global Business Accelerator (AGBA) and the innovation was the Global Technology Commercialization Initiative in conjunction with the City of Akron.  Three links to separate articles are in the list below, but since we write this blog, we’re linking here too.  Follow this link to read our original article on Mike. 

There is a lot of positive change happening in the region, particularly around entrepreneurial activities and economic development.  NEOinc follows several regional blogs reporting on these topics.  Sometimes the posts shine a spotlight nationally (or internationally) on the region.  Every month we publish a short list of some of the stories we’ve noticed that embody the spirit of achievement, growth and change in our region.

Here is NEOinc’s May recap of the articles we feel speak to the growth and positive change that is happening quietly, every day, in our region.   Continued

Governor Strickland toured the Akron Global Business Accelerator recently, as reported by The Beacon Journal (follow the link for the full story).

The Governor visited with several promising entrepreneurs in the accelerator:

• Spine Matrix and its back-pain technology
• InSet Systems LLC, that is weeks away from manufacturing small devices that can quickly find trapped miners
• reXource Thermionics and its waste-heat convertor
• NicheVision Inc. and its object-recognition technology for criminal investigations, and
• Vacuum Electric Switch Co. that repairs and refurbishes highly specialized electric switches.

I guess we know where some of those new jobs are going to come from…

Other recent articles of note concerning AGBA tenants:

• Harnessing heat for energy
• Israeli tech company moving to Akron
• Making gains in back pain

InSet Systems, LLC, a tenant in the Akron Global Business Accelerator, was recently featured in Popular Science magazine as one of the top 10 inventions for 2008.

InSet Systems, using a wireless radio network and inertial motion sensors, provides highly accurate location tracking for miners.  Miners wear a small transmitter, and the system is being developed with enough redundancies to remain operational even during collapse events.

Jim Ponceroff, who led a rescue team after the Sago mine collapse in West Virginia, is quoted as saying “This is going to be the best thing we’ve had ever, as far as I’m concerned.  I hope he makes a billion dollars.”

We do too Jim.  InSet has successfully tested the system in three mines and hopes to start licensing the technology by year’s end.

What were you doing 25 years ago?  Our guess is probably not what you are doing now.  There might even be some people reading this post that weren’t even born yet.

The year was 1983 and the Akron-Summit Industrial Incubator, now known as the Akron Global Business Accelerator (AGBA), was created.  Created to be a safe haven for entrepreneurs, it was the first of it’s kind in Ohio and one of only a handful in the entire country.

Mike LeHere was employee #1, hired to manage the incubator.  It is a position he holds to this day.

After 25 years of pioneering work helping countless entrepreneurs, Mike and the AGBA is receiving some extremely notable recognition for their high quality program.  Continued

Much of NEOinc’s management is in San Antonio this week at the National Business Incubation Association’s Spring conference.  In our absence, we leave you with April’s recap of positive regional change, and look forward to publishing next week. 

There is a lot of positive change happening in the region, particularly around entrepreneurial activities and economic development.  NEOinc follows several regional blogs reporting on these topics.  Sometimes the posts shine a spotlight nationally (or internationally) on the region.  Every month we publish a short list of some of the stories we’ve noticed that embody the spirit of achievement, growth and change in our region.

Here is NEOinc’s April recap of the articles we feel speak to the growth and positive change that is happening quietly, every day, in our region.   Continued

The Akron Global Business Incubator (AGBA) recently acquired two new tenants:

• MAR Systems has a proprietary process using recycled materials to remove heavy metals from water and gas
• InSeT Systems uses inertial guidance technology to track personnel in underground mines - a mandate now required by federal law

AGBA is also playing a key role in the City of Akron competing as a finalist in the All American City competition. The city of Akron selected three of its programs as the basis for its application, and the Technology Initiative of the Akron Global Business Accelerator was one of those elements. Mike LeHere, AGBA CEO, will be representing the Accelerator in early June when the City makes its formal presentation to the review committee.  NEOinc wishes Mike and The City of Akron the best of luck!

Ah, Spring.  The daffodils are pushing their way out of the dirt, the forecast shows nothing but 50’s and our Tribe opened with a win.  What’s not to like? 

There is a lot of positive change happening in the region, particularly around entrepreneurial activities and economic development.  NEOinc follows several regional blogs reporting on these topics.  Sometimes the posts shine a spotlight nationally (or internationally) on the region.  Every month we publish a short list of some of the stories we’ve noticed that embody the spirit of achievement, growth and change in our region.

Here is NEOinc’s March recap of the articles we feel speak to the growth and positive change that is happening quietly, every day in our region.   Continued

These SBIR / STTR Workshops will show you how

The Ohio Aerospace Institute (OAI) and TechLift are presenting a series of workshops on the Federal SBIR and STTR programs.  The Department of Defense (DoD) SBIR and STTR programs fund a billion dollars each year in early-stage R&D projects at small technology companies - projects that serve a DoD need and have commercial applications.

• The SBIR Program provides up to $850,000 in early-stage R&D funding directly to small technology companies (or individual entrepreneurs who form a company).
• The STTR Program provides up to $850,000 in early-stage R&D funding directly to small companies working cooperatively with researchers at universities and other research institutions.

Small companies retain the intellectual property rights to technologies they develop under these programs.  Funding is awarded competitively, but the process is streamlined and user-friendly.

Knowing the ins and outs of how the program works, how best to apply, and what you need to do in order to increase your odds of an award is the basis of the OAI/TechLift workshops.  In each of the workshops, you will learn:

• How to use SBIR and STTR as a business development tool in your company
• The basics of the DOD SBIR/STTR Program, its breadth and potential reward to you
• How to develop a DOD SBIR/STTR proposal that answers the need with logical flow
• What DOD SBIR reviewers look for, pitfalls to avoid & pointers to better your efforts
• How to access technical information about prior R&D awards
• Decide whether you can/should compete for SBIR/STTR or other government funds 

• How to partner with TechLift and OAI to increase your commercialization opportunities

Three workshop dates are being offered:

Fri., April 4th, 2008
10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Akron Global Business Accelerator
526 S. Main Street
Akron, Ohio 44311

Thu., April 10th, 2008
10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Great Lakes Innovation and Development Enterprise (GLIDE)
Lorain County Community College
151 Innovation Drive, Suite 210
Elyria, Ohio 44035 Fri., April 11th, 2008
10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
The Youngstown Business Incubator (YBI)
241 Federal Plaza West
Youngstown, Ohio 44503

EVENT INFO:

Lunch will be provided. Cost: $25 for OAI Members & TechLift Partners; $40 for Non-Members.  NEOinc is a TechLift partner.  If you are a tenant in one of our incubators, you are eligible for the reduced pricing.

Online registration will be available soon, please visit http://www.oai.org/ (networking and events)
By e-mail: patriciagrospiron@oai.org and monicadumitriu@oai.org
By phone: Patricia Grospiron, 440-962-3216 and Monica Dumitriu, 440-962-3141

Ready to take the next step?

OAI and TechLift are also offering an Intensive Workshop on SBIR / TTIR & Grant Funding Proposal Preparation.  This workshop is a day and a half and will focus on:

• Detailed instruction on proposal preparation

• Technical & commercialization plans
• Proposal submission procedures
• Overview of all agencies, including DOD, DOE, & NSF

This intensive workshop will take place April 28th and 29th at the OAI facility (click for directions).  Registration contacts are the same as above.  There are four options for this workshop:

• Option 1: One day of SBIR training, Mon., 12-5 p.m. or Tue., 9 a.m. – noon
  Cost: $125 for OAI Members & TechLift partners; $250 for Non-Members
• Option 2: One day of SBIR training + 1/2 day on commercialization
  Cost: $150 for Members & TechLift partners; $300 for Non-Members
• Option 3: One day of SBIR training + project summary review*
  Cost: $175 for Members & TechLift partners; $350 for Non-Members 
• Option 4: Same day + 1/2 day on commercialization + project summary review*
  Cost: $200 for Members & TechLift partners; $400 for Non-Members

*Note: The outline details for the project summary will be provided during the workshop.