Entrepreneurs in higher ed are key catalysts in the innovation economy Wednesday, December 04, 2002 In the innovation economy, some of the most important entrepreneurs are not in business, but in higher education. Take the case of Marshall University in West Virginia. President Dan Angel is leading the university's efforts to transform the regional economy. Marshall has announced a partnership with Dow Chemical's Technical Center and the university’s campus in South Charleston. This partnership will lead to the use of laboratory facilities at the Dow tech center to support Marshall graduate programs and associated research, the use of Marshall’s South Charleston facilities and faculty to provide additional educational opportunities for Dow employees, and the development of projects that advance biotechnology research and development. Learn more. Go At the same time, Marshall has announced plans for a $40 million biosciences center, as part of a $100 million biotech development plan. President Angel notes that Marshall needs four components to succeed: new facilities, top scientists, a business development center, and partnerships. This effort will take years to bring results, but this important step is to start. It is the type of focused, university-led biotech effort that is more realistic, in my view, than the broad-based approach Arizona is considering. Marshall's research base is relatively small, $35 million, but it is growing. With public sector and private support, the University could attract the researchers it needs to expand this base. The keys will be to follow a research plan that targets research investments in a few areas and adopt best practices in technology transfer, including faculty release policies and business development. Read more. Go. posted by Ed Morrison |		This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License. links Some Background on EDPro Weblog The purpose of this weblog is to help economic development professionals -- EDPros -- keep up with the changes sweeping our profession. Strap on your goggles. It's a whole new game. There are no experts any more. The only place to learn about economic development is from other EDPros who are doing it. One other point: the prevaling approach (paradigm, if you like) in economic development is shifting from competition to collaboration. There are a lot of reaasons underlying this shift, but here's the important insight: You, your community, and your region will do better by collaborating and sharing information. So, spread the word...Share the knowledge. Tell a friend about EDPro Weblog. If you are using a news reader, here is the link to syndicate this site: Here's the link if you are a bloglines subscriber: Speaking and workshops on Open Source Economic Development As the idea of Open Source Economic Development starts spreading, more people are asking about it. Visit the I-Open web site to learn more. My colleagues and I are happy to explain the basic concepts in a talk or a workshop. E-mail Susan Alshuler if you'd like to learn more about workshops and speaking. Background on Ed Morrison Download some background information on me here.

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