Purdue joins state in promoting entrepreneurship

Gov. Mitch Daniels declared the week to spotlight partnerships among universities, government and businesses that advance Indiana's economy through entrepreneurship. Purdue will celebrate the week with tours and presentations for alumni who are interested in high-tech business startups Thursday (Nov. 2) at Discovery Park and the Purdue Research Park.

Entrepreneurship Week at Purdue will begin at 9:30 a.m. at the Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship, 120 W. State St., West Lafayette. George B. Adams III, Discovery Park special projects manager and Entrepreneurship Week at Purdue coordinator, will make a presentation on "Discovery Park and Economic Development."

A tour of Discovery Park, the $330 million, 40-acre campus research enterprise located on the southwest section of Purdue's campus, will follow. The Center for Entrepreneurship, located in Discovery Park, provides faculty and students with opportunities for entrepreneurship training and activities.

"This economic development event is aligned with the 'Accelerating Indiana' strategic plan of the Indiana Economic Development Corp," Adams said. "Specifically, this is part of the Hoosier Comeback effort to invite people who have ties to Indiana. The alumni who are invited are entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, managers of high-tech startup companies, and business and finance leaders."

Adams said fostering innovative business ideas and supporting research that leads to commercialized products are central to Discovery Park's mission.

"Discovery Park links the most dynamic projects and pioneering researchers so they can make discoveries that lead to the invention of new products and processes," Adams said. "The ultimate goal of this interdisciplinary research is to advance the Indiana economy and find solutions to societal problems. We hope that by inviting alumni to witness the ground-breaking research at Discovery Park and the nationally recognized business support at the Purdue Research Park, that Entrepreneurship Week energizes them to embrace innovation and consider returning to West Lafayette."

Discovery Park is home to 10 primary centers that focus on everything from biosciences, nanotechnology and manufacturing to oncological sciences, homeland security and health-care engineering. In addition to the Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship, Discovery Park includes the Birck Nanotechnology Center, the Bindley Bioscience Center, the e-Enterprise Center, the Discovery Learning Center, the Center for Advanced Manufacturing, the Energy Center, the Center for the Environment, the Cyber Center and the Oncological Sciences Center.

Companies developed from research at Discovery Park are launched at the Purdue Research Park, which is the largest university-affiliated, business incubation complex in the country. More than 140 companies call the park's 591-acre site just north of campus home. Approximately 90 companies are technology-related.

Greg Deason, Purdue Research Foundation vice president, will provide remarks at 1 p.m. about how the Purdue Research Park supports entrepreneurs at the Purdue Technology Center conference room, 3000 Kent Ave., West Lafayette. Presentations by representatives of Quadraspec, Griffin Analytical Technologies and Cook Biotech Inc., three companies based at the research park that were founded by entrepreneurs, will follow at 1:30 p.m.

Quadraspec provides diagnostic testing for medical research. Griffin Analytical Technologies develops on-site chemical detection systems. Cook Biotech Inc. develops commercial biomaterials from natural tissue sources for use in medical products.

Deason said businesses at the park receive support from award-winning technology transfer and business acceleration programs.

"These programs attract knowledge-based businesses to Indiana and help to launch new startups powered by Purdue-generated innovation," Deason said. "This leads to business growth that generates revenue and creates high-paying jobs, which in turn boost Indiana's economy."

Joe Hornett, senior vice president, treasurer and chief operating officer of the Purdue Research Foundation, said the Purdue Research Park also serves as a model for other research parks throughout the state.

"As a result of entrepreneurship initiatives and business development activities, the Purdue Research Park is home to the largest cluster of technology-based businesses in the state of Indiana," Hornett said. "That success is being repeated in Merrillville at the 400-acre Ameriplex at the Crossroads development and will be replicated at a recently announced business and technology park that is taking shape in New Albany."

The Office of Technology Commercialization, a division of the Purdue Research Foundation, helps to protect, market and license Purdue technologies. To date, more than 40 Purdue faculty-entrepreneurs have engaged in the process of starting companies based on their work.

Alumni with entrepreneurial interests have been invited to attend Entrepreneurship Week at Purdue. Registrations also can be made on-line for a limited number of additional seats.

Writer: Marydell Forbes, (765) 496-7704, mforbes@purdue.edu

Sources: George Adams, (765) 494-2698, gba@purdue.edu

Greg Deason, (765) 494-8572, gdeason@purdue.edu

Joe Hornett, (765) 494-6072, jbhornett@prf.org

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

Note to Journalists: A complete agenda for Entrepreneurship Week at Purdue University events is available. Transportation from Indianapolis for journalists also is available. To reserve a seat on the Boilermaker bus, contact Marydell Forbes, Purdue News Service, at (765) 496-7704, mforbes@purdue.edu.

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