U.S. EDA Awards $5.25 Million to WV Regional Technology Park   

   On August 1, the federal EDA awarded a $5.25 million grant to refurbish a research lab building (Building 770) at the WV Regional Technology Park in South Charleston. The award is the largest EDA grant this year and will help to establish the Park as an anchor of the West Virginia Regional Innovation Cluster, a geographic concentration of similar firms and industries that supports economic growth, with a focus on research in energy, chemicals and materials.

The WV Regional Technology Park

In its comprehensive report about the Park's potential, the Battelle Technology Partnership Practice noted the "signature assets" at the Park and said that it will "pay critical dividends for economic development in the state."

   In March, EDA officials including Assistant Secretary John Fernandez, Regional Director Willie Taylor, and State Representative Dr. Anne Cavalier visited the Park and conducted a Roundtable discussion with entrepreneurs and members of West Virginia's Congressional delegation.

   U.S. Senators Jay Rockefeller and Joe Manchin, Reps. Nick Rahall and Shelley Moore Capito, and Governor Earl Ray Tomblin praised the EDA award and its potential for advancing technology-based economic development in the state. Excerpts follow:

"There is new life in the Tech Park, and new hope that it will be an ongoing source of pride and economic progress not only for the Kanawha Valley, but also for the entire state. With this grant, we will see one of the park's landmark buildings turn into a modern facility ripe for additional research jobs, innovations and discoveries. And we'll be one significant stride closer to greater technology-based economic development in West Virginia." -- U.S. Senator Jay Rockefeller

"In these challenging times, it is critical that we prioritize our spending on smart investments that will help create the jobs of tomorrow in West Virginia and the nation, and this is a smart investment that will do that." - U.S. Senator Joe Manchin

"This grant, along with the other resources being committed to the Park, will complement, not compete with, emerging innovative industries throughout Advantage Valley." -- Rep. Nick Rahall

"The advances made over the next few years at the South Charleston Tech Park will have a positive ripple effect throughout the greater West Virginia and regional economies." -- Rep. Shelley Moore Capito

"We have always valued the Tech Park for its location, established infrastructure as well as its potential to evolve into a world-class innovation center with good-paying, cutting-edge employment opportunities." -- Governor Earl Ray Tomblin.

 NSF Issues STTR Radio Spectrum Solicitation        

   The National Science Foundation has issued a Small Business Technology Transfer Program Phase I Solicitation FY-2012, NSF 11-561, "Enhancing Access to the Radio Spectrum (EARS)." The announcement notes that NSF seeks to help reach the nation's future broadband goals and alleviate growing pressure on limited radio spectrum resources.   

   Proposals may be submitted for up to $150,000 in funding; Phase I grants are for 12 months. The deadline for submission is Nov. 17, 2011.   

    The primary objective of the STTR Program is to increase the incentive and opportunity for small firms to undertake cutting-edge, high-risk, high-quality scientific, engineering, or science and engineering education research that would have a high-potential economic payoff if the research is successful.

TechConnectWV Represented at TechWomen Meeting at U.S. State Department      

   Anne Barth, Executive Director of TechConnectWV, participated in the U.S. State Department's inaugural TechWomen

Executive Director Anne Barth (center) with TechWomen delegates

luncheon in July. The entrepreneurship initiative brought women from six North African and Middle Eastern countries to the U.S.  for a five-week mentorship at 24 U.S.-based technology companies, including Adobe Systems, AT&T, Cisco Systems, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Twitter, ThoughtWorks, Yahoo!, Intel, LikeList, and Symantec.

   In addition to a keynote address by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, the group heard from Acting Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, Ann S. Stock, and Rita Braver with CBS News Sunday Morning.

The U.S. Department of Commerce program, "CommerceConnect," has expanded to West Virginia and will serve companies of all sizes across the state. Designed to make businesses more competitive and create jobs, the program brings all of the agency's services together under one roof.  

The program trains Commerce Department employees to help businesses access resources from local, state and federal government agencies. Trained specialists can assess a business' needs, such as access to capital, intellectual property protection, export promotion or how to make operations more efficient, and connect them to necessary resources.    

   When the expansion to West Virginia was announced in June, U.S. Senator Jay Rockefeller said, "Our state has great companies with some of the best and most productive workers in the country, and this new federal program will open many new doors. If businesses have the expertise and can fully access all the support that the Department offers, they will be in a better position to increase and create jobs."  

   To contact CommerceConnect, see http://commerceconnect.gov/ or call 1-888-728-4190 to register for services.

Touchstone Research Lab in "CompositesWorld"

   Touchstone Research Laboratory, Ltd. of Triadelphia, WV was featured in the July issue of CompositesWorld for its recent developments in the world of tooling, especially for out-of-autoclave tooling. In an overview of what the journal terms "evolving technologies for thermoset composites," Touchstone received top billing among the number of companies highlighted.  

Tool produced by Touchstone Research Laboratory for AAI--Shadow 200 UAV Wing Skin Tool Set

   Elizabeth Kraftician, Touchstone's President and CEO, said "We are proud of the technology innovations that our engineers are continually bringing to market such as this introduction of out-of-autoclave tooling, which will allow for the build of very large tools without the need for an autoclave."  

   Jesse Blacker has led Touchstone's development efforts in this area for the past several years, and his team's R&D into this tooling advancement is continuing through a recent Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) award. Congratulations to Touchstone Research Laboratory on this achievement and for keeping West Virginia on the map in composites innovation!