Innovation Transfer Network Awards $127,000 in Grants to Connect Local Faculty to Private Sector Companies

The Innovation Transfer Network (ITN), a partnership among 13 institutions of higher education in Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster and Lebanon counties, provides business assistance, technology assessment, and this year a total of $127,000 in seed funding for technology transfer activities. Specifically, the seed grants provide up to $10,000 to educational institutions to encourage further development of projects that are close to commercialization. The process is competitive and preference is given to those projects that involve a private sector partner. This year the program received the most applications of any year, and 12 of the 14 projects chosen for funding had private sector relationships.

Funded projects include a reversible vas deferens occlusion device, a human skin color sensor, and an automobile battery saving bypass circuit to name a few. To view all 14 funded projects check out www.InnovationTransferNetwork.org.

The Innovation Transfer Network is a regional collaborative linking higher education institutions, economic development organizations and private sector business in Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster and Lebanon counties.

Upcoming Event - Hershey Center for Applied Research Official Launch of KnowledgeMesh™

Wednesday, May 14th, 10am-noon at the Hershey Center for Applied Research, HCAR will launch its cutting-edge social networking/scientific mapping online community called KnowledgeMesh™. Simon Revell, Manager of Enterprise 2.0 Technology Development at Pfizer will be the keynote speaker for this exciting event. There is no cost to attend the event, but registration is required. Click here to register.

What is KnowledgeMesh™? The online application is designed to advance R&D in the life sciences and high technology sectors through quality interactions between industry, academia, government, investors, workforce and support organizations that are located around the globe. Through KnowledgeMesh™ the research park is positioning itself as a ‘concierge’ to the business services and scientific resources provided by these various communities and as a result, is helping to develop mutually beneficial opportunities among and between these constituencies. Everyone has something to contribute to HCAR KnowledgeMesh™ regardless of your expertise, so establish your profile and get connected today!

Start Me Up Business Competition Winners Announced

Posted by DAN MILLER, Of The Patriot-News April 29, 2008 13:38PM

Categories: Breaking News

Cruzstar, a Web-based startup company that allows customers to order meals online from local restaurants and caterers, today was named winner of the 2008 Murata Great Business Challenge.

Cruzstar owner and founder Adrian Fang will receive a prize package worth more than $20,000 from the Harrisburg Regional Chamber and Capital Region Economic Development Corp. The package includes six months of free rent in the Murata Business Center in Carlisle, a regional small business incubator that is owned by CREDC.

The Murata award was part of CREDC’s 2008 Start Me Up Business Plan competition. The competition, held every other year since 2006, also recognizes the best business plans submitted by teams of students who attend colleges and universities in the midstate.

CREDC Fab 5, the third part of Start Me Up, recognizes five of the region’s most promising companies that have been in business for two to five years and that are headquartered in Cumberland, Dauphin or Perry counties.

Among the other winners, Clipse Ethnic Style Beauty Salon from Millersville University received first place in the undergraduate college competition. The salon is a full-service salon that caters to multi-cultural women throughout Lancaster County.

Second place went to Springboard Language Academy, a team of students from Dickinson College. Springboard aims to provide conveniently scheduled language classes and a cultural outlet to students living in the midstate.

BioCells2Cure, a team from Penn State Harrisburg, won first place in the graduate competition. The company specializes in breast cancer research and will offer services to the pharmaceutical and biotech industry to assist in drug selection and clinical trial design.

CREDC Fab 5 honors went to the following companies:
- AutumnWave, a consumer electronics and personal technology company located in Murata Business Center.
- BitLeap, a provider of high-tech off-site data backup services. BitLeap is also located in Murata.
- JEM Group, a woman-owned construction firm based in downtown Harrisburg.
- VQC Designs, an Internet business services company in Harrisburg and,
- Webpage FX, a Web business services company. Webpage FX is also located in Murata Business Center.

Upcoming Event: Commercialization Acceleration - From Concept to Commercial Opportunity

The Hershey Center for Applied Research is hosting a 3 panel discussion on various aspects of turning a concept into a commercial product. The event will take place Wednesday, April 23rd from 4:30-6:30pm.

Prestigious Speakers for this event include:

Erin Byrne, President and Chief Executive Officer, Lepton Technologies

Hans Pfister, Ph.D., Dickinson College, Associate Professor of Physics

Mary Powell, Intellectual Property Attorney, Powell Law PC

Steve Brawley, President and Chief Executive Officer, Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Central and Northern PA (Host)

Sponsors of this event include:

Harrisburg Market Keystone Innovation Zone
Hershey Center for Applied Research
Innovation Transfer Network

Following the discussion there will be a reception and tour of the Hershey Center for Applied Research.

Registration is free and can be completed online here.

Cast Your Vote to Get Suppliments to Troops in Iraq & Afghanistan

There is currently an entrepreneurial initiative being put together to get body building suppliments to our troops overseas at wholesale prices. For many troops operating in Iraq and Afghanistan, weightlifting and exercise not only keeps them fit for combat, but it is also many times the only way to pass the time. Additionally, it is a healthy outlet for releasing the stress that builds up from long deployments.

An entrepreneur and Iraq war marine veteran by the name of Seargant Keith Reilly is proposing to purchase bodybuilding supplements wholesale and sell them to the troops at the various military installations in Iraq and Afghanistan. This will give the troops access to the supplements that they couldn’t otherwise receive at reasonable prices.

So what can you do to support this effort? Merely cast your vote on Idea Blob, a website that hands out $10,000 every month to the idea that receives the most votes. Currently, the proposed idea to get suppliments to the troops has made it to this week’s top ideas. Your vote can really make a difference, click the link below and help make this idea a reality!

Select Medical Corporation Makes Historic Multi-Million Dollar Gift to Harrisburg University

HARRISBURG, Pa. (April 8, 2008)–Select Medical Corporation, a leading provider of specialty health care with headquarters in Mechanicsburg, has announced a $2.6 million gift to Harrisburg University of Science and Technology. The gift is the largest philanthropic investment by a corporation in the six-year history of the University, and it will establish the Select Medical Corporation Conference Center in the University’s new 16-story Academic Center under construction at 326 Market Street in Harrisburg. Robert Ortenzio, Select Medical’s Chief Executive Officer, announced the gift on April 8th during a press conference at the University. Joining Mr. Ortenzio for the announcement were Harrisburg University President Mel Schiavelli and R. Timothy Weston, Esq., Chair of the University Board of Trustees. “Select Medical is proud to make this historic gift to Harrisburg University and support the advancement of this growing university,” said Robert Ortenzio. “Harrisburg University offers excellent educational opportunities that benefit young adults, working professionals and local businesses. This gift demonstrates Select Medical’s belief that education is key to ensuring a strong, viable future for the region.” The Select Medical Conference Center will be located on the 14th floor, the highest occupied floor, of the Academic Center. The Select Medical Conference Center will be host to countless events and programs for the University as well as community, education and corporate groups. The floor will also house the University’s senior administrative offices. “Select Medical has stepped forward to help realize the vision of Harrisburg University, and this gift is yet another example of Select Medical’s commitment to the future of our region,” says. Dr. Schiavelli. “A gift of this magnitude has the power to propel our University forward, allowing us to prepare more students to join the high-tech science and technology workforce that is vital to the economy of this region and the state. We look forward to strengthening this important partnership that benefits our students and faculty, and the entire Central Pennsylvania community.” Dr. Schiavelli notes that the timing of this gift is especially opportune as a crisis looms on the horizon because of a national shortage of students in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. “The gift enhances our ability to produce highly qualified graduates at the undergraduate and graduate levels who are able to serve the changing needs of businesses in the Commonwealth,” says Dr. Schiavelli. “It is sustained strategic philanthropic investments from the private sector like this one from Select Medical that will ultimately determine whether Harrisburg University becomes the preeminent institution it has the potential to become.” “The increasing intensity of global competition makes philanthropic investments by corporations more important than ever before,” Mr. Weston said. “We are honored by Select Medical’s confidence in our students and faculty, and we will meet the challenge by producing exceptional graduates who are well-prepared for careers in the region’s growing knowledge-based economy.” The gifts are designated to support CONNECT: The Campaign for Harrisburg University–the University’s inaugural comprehensive fundraising campaign that was publicly launched at the Groundbreaking Gala Celebration in November 2006. The Select Medical gift raises the current total of commitments to approximately $31.6-million or 80 percent toward the goal of $40-million. “Corporate support of this magnitude is what will make the University’s campaign a success, as well as ensure the continued fast-paced rise of Harrisburg University as a prominent institution of higher education in the Commonwealth,” says Marcus S. Lingenfelter, vice president for University Advancement at Harrisburg University. “We encourage other corporations and organizations to consider their own philanthropic investments–what impact they wish to make and what legacy they wish to leave.” Select Medical Corporation is a national provider of specialized health care encompassing long-term acute care, inpatient medical rehabilitation, outpatient physical rehabilitation and contract therapy. Headquartered in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, Select Medical has been recognized as one of “America’s Best Managed Companies” by Forbes Magazine, as well as a “Best Place to Work in Pennsylvania” for the past five years. Founded in 1996 by Rocco Ortenzio and Robert Ortenzio, Select Medical is a privately held company with more than 21,000 employees throughout the United States. Harrisburg University of Science and Technology is a private, non-profit, non-sectarian teaching university that offers applied academic programs in the nationally-critical STEM disciplines (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). The University’s mission also includes a dedication to meet the needs of the Capital Region’s youth, workforce, and businesses to expand, attract, and create economic opportunities.

Contact:

Steven M. Infanti Associate Vice President for Marketing and Communications Harrisburg University of Science and Technology 717.901.5146 or Sinfanti@HarrisburgU.net

Carolyn Curnane VP, Corporate Communications Select Medical Corporation 717.730.4221 or CCurnane@SelectMedicalCorp.com

Harrisburg in top 92% of contest to win $10,000 grant

With just 19 votes, Harrisburg is almost at the top of the Ideablob.com $10k monthly giveaway contest. It really doesn’t take too many votes to become a finalist, so please chip in! The idea presented is an initiative designed to increase student enrollment at colleges in the area and engage those students in the region so that more of them will choose to stay upon graduation. Support your local economy and place a vote for the idea, it only takes a minute but could be the difference for $10,000.

Central Pennsylvania Entrepreneur Network

Thought I would share that there is now a Facebook group for entrepreneurs in the Central PA area. I’ve posted a number of events and resources, feel free to join the group and network with other entrepreneurs across Central Pennsylvania.

IdeaBlob.com, the site that gives out $10,000 every month for the idea that receives the most votes

Ever had a good idea? Now you can get that notion funded if it gets enough votes on IdeaBlob. The site is most definitely worth looking into. I just posted my own idea on the site that I’d appreciate you voting for or commenting on it: a website designed specifically for college students that outlines the events, discounts, destinations, jobs, and internships around the greater Harrisburg area. The idea is to attract more students to the region and really get those students connected to what’s going on here in hopes of reversing the region’s huge export of college students once they graduate.

The thing about this website that intrigues me is that really simple projects can actually win, you don’t need a doctorate to compete. In fact, the winner last month is a Penn State college student! Check it out or try your own idea!

Apogee Biotechnology Corporation Becomes First Non-Academic Tenant of the Hershey Center for Applied Research

Spin-off Developing Inhibitors to Sphingosine Kinase, an Enzyme Driving Cell Proliferation and Inflammation

HERSHEY, Pa.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The Hershey Center for Applied Research (HCAR) announced today that its first private company tenant, Apogee Biotechnology Corporation, has established its headquarters on the HCAR campus, in Building One. Apogee, a spin-off of the Penn State College of Medicine’s Department of Pharmacology, is developing chemical compounds that will inhibit the activities of sphingosine kinase, an enzyme known to drive cell proliferation and inflammation. Sphingosine kinase is overactive in several diseases such as cancer, diabetic retinopathy, inflammatory bowel disease, arthritis and atherosclerosis.

“We have been fortunate to have the support of many leaders in the biotechnology community here in Hershey and throughout the region,” said Dr. Charles D. Smith, President, CEO and Founder of Apogee. “Moving onto the HCAR campus further solidifies our presence in this community – we foresee great opportunities for sharing lab facilities and state-of-the-art equipment, while also leveraging HCAR’s excellent network of service providers, investors, vendors and more.”

The lead compound being developed by Apogee was identified in 2006, and is the first-in-class non-lipid inhibitor of sphingosine kinase. It has shown promising biological activity in several disease models, and Apogee expects that it will advance into human trials in 2009. The Company currently has six employees, four of whom hold PhDs, and received more than $7 million from the Small Business Innovative Research grant program from the National Institutes of Health.

Apogee will reside in the HCAR Technology Suites, which is flexible wet lab space that is being supported by the Life Sciences Greenhouse of Central Pennsylvania (LSGPA). LSGPA recently awarded HCAR a $700,000 grant to subsidize leasing in the HCAR Technology Suites for start up companies such as Apogee. The LSGPA was formed to provide start-up money and business support services to early-stage life sciences companies.

“We couldn’t be more pleased about our first tenant company,” said Laura Butcher, Executive Director, HCAR. “The research Apogee is pursuing has the potential to change lives, by potentially slowing down the progression of diseases. Being situated within close proximity to so many other great research minds from academia and industry will foster continued success for Apogee – as will the access they will have to additional research resources and business connections.”

“It has been a pleasure to watch Apogee grow, and to help with that process,” said Kent Vrana, Chair of the Penn State College of Medicine Department of Pharmacology. The Department of Pharmacology is housed on the third floor of Building One of HCAR, and the Department shares many resources with Apogee. “Their decision to locate in HCAR is testament to their savvy business sense – the leaders of Apogee are smart to leverage the connections they have built already and to continue to grow and expand those.”

Apogee’s new address will be:

Apogee Biotechnology Corporation

Hershey Center for Applied Research

1214 Research Boulevard, Suite 1016

Hummelstown, PA 17036

Located adjacent to Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and College of Medicine, the Hershey Center for Applied Research is a research park that offers life sciences and high technology researchers and companies at all phases of the business lifecycle state-of-the-art wet and dry lab facilities and office space, as well as access to capital, business support services and shared amenities. HCAR offers a premier location for life sciences and high technology researchers and companies to grow and succeed in the global marketplace.

About the Hershey Center for Applied Research

Hershey Center for Applied Research (HCAR) provides resident organizations with state-of–the-art facilities and high-value business and research resources that enable growth escalation. In addition to its wet and dry lab facilities and office space in a campus-like setting in Hershey, PA, HCAR provides facilitated access to research expertise, especially in the areas of research discovery, development and commercialization; access to Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and College of Medicine, a major research institution with amenities that include core facilities, clinical trial participation, researcher sponsorship and research advisors; and assistance in obtaining necessary business resources, like venture capital, human resources, including Penn State M.D.s and Ph.D.s, and access to business advisors. For more information, go to www.hersheyresearch.com.

Contacts

Hershey Center for Applied Research (HCAR)
Media:
Jen Bannan, 412-580-3675
jen@0to5.com