Marshall University was one of the organizers of the recent ninth annual

Dr. Richard Niles of Progenesis Technologies presents at OVALS

Ohio Valley Affiliates for Life Sciences (OVALS) conference in Cincinnati.  The OVALS Partnership was developed in 2002 as a forum to discuss and stimulate economic development opportunities for Life Sciences within the Ohio Valley region. This was the first year a West Virginia university participated as a conference organizer with partner institutions in Ohio and Kentucky.   

"The OVALS conference is focused on expanding university research and increasing commercialization of new technologies," according to Jennifer Kmiec, Marshall's Associate Vice President for Economic Development. 

"The purpose is to promote commercialization of research, whether by helping faculty to find partners in existing companies or by learning how to spin a company out of their university lab.

"The mission and goals of the OVALS Partnership complement Marshall's strengths in biomedical research and innovation," she added. 

Marshall spin-out company Progenesis Technologies, which is developing a super-absorbent alginate with many pharmaceutical and commercial uses, presented during a session highlighting promising new venture opportunities in the region. West Virginians participating in the conference included John Maher, Jan Fox, Amy Melton, Keely Martin and Jennifer Kmiec of Marshall University; Deepay Mukerjee, Dick Niles and Hongwei Yu representing Progenesis; Tom Pressman of MIST Technologies; Ron Basini of the WV Angel Investor Network and Jamie Gaucher from the WV Small Business Development Center.

Founded in 2010, the WV Angel Investor Network (WVAIN) is a statewide investor membership organization with the objective of providing start-up and early stage capital to technology-based companies across the state. 

WVAIN conducts quarterly meetings to present investment opportunities to its investor members and encourages start-up and early stage companies to email their Business Plans and funding requests to Ron Basini @ rb12436@aol.com, or Bob McLaughlin @ rmclaughlin@i79developmentcouncil.com

Visit WVAIN's web site at:www.wvangel.net.

The Biotech Alliance of the Huntington Area Development Council (HADCO) strengthened its commitment to developing growth in the West Virginia biosciences sector with its recent formal adoption of the Biotechnology Blueprint, released earlier this year by TechConnectWV.     

Adoption of the TechConnectWV Biotech Blueprint as a guiding strategy document follows the Biotech Alliance's recent support of the sector as the major sponsor of the West Virginia Pavilion at this year's BIO International Convention in Washington, D.C. in June.

MU Forensic Science Center Annex

HADCO also obtained funding to develop wet labs in partnership with Marshall University's Forensic Science Center that will operate as a biotech incubator. The Biotech Alliance offers business and commercialization assistance services to bioscience companies located in the incubator and throughout the Huntington community.

Produced in partnership with the Battelle Technology Partnership Practice, the Biotechnology Blueprint is a detailed strategy for growing the bioscience industry in the state.  It lays out five strategies for growth:

• creating the face of WV biotechnology -- already achieved with the formation of the Bioscience Association of West Virginia,  
• continued growth in academic based research,  
• the advancement of biotech clusters made up of research universities and industry,  
• the development of a skilled biotech workforce, and  
• enhanced infrastructure -- both physical and programmatic -- to support entrepreneurs. 

Spotlight on Success in West Virginia --  

TechConnectWV Salutes

Board Members Siegel & Peduto      

TechConnectWV Board Members Harry Siegel and Guy Peduto received honors from the U.S. Small Business Administration at its annual awards banquet on May 3.   

L-R: Guy Peduto, James Estep, SBA District Director Judy McCauley, Harry Siegel, TechConnectWV Executive Director Anne Barth

Harry Siegel, President and CEO of HMS Technologies in Martinsburg, received the 2011 "Regional Entrepreneurial Success" Award from the SBA.   Siegel started HMS Technologies seven years ago in his home.  The firm, which now employs 200, provides computer software services to government and private sector clients.   

Regional award winners compete with firms in the six states in SBA Region 3, including WV, VA, MD, PA, DC and DE.  Firms are eligible for this award if they started small, but grew large by SBA definition, and received assistance from the SBA.    

Guy Peduto, Director of the INNOVA Commercialization Group at the WV High Tech Consortium Foundation, and James Estep, President of the WV High Tech Consortium Foundation, received the Director's Excellence Award from the WV Small Business Administration.  Their years of experience and strategic efforts are accelerating tech transfer and commercialization, creating new companies and jobs in West Virginia.  

TechConnectWV congratulates these leaders in small business, which is the backbone of the state's economy and the heart and soul of our communities.  For a complete list of 2011 award winners, visit: http://www.westvirginiawbc.or/SBA_2011_Small_Business_Awards.php   

Upcoming Events......  

May 24 - Federal Technical Assistance Workshop, hosted by the Appalachian Regional Development Initiative, Pikeville, KY  

May 25 - Opportunities in Innovation for Undergraduate Institutions, hosted by the WV Higher Education Policy Commission, Embassy Suites, Charleston   

May 31-June 1 - Teaming to Win, hosted by Teaming to Win, Inc. and TechConnect, Stonewall Resort

June 1-2 - Homeland Security Summit & Expo, Huntington WV  

June 27-30 - BIO 2011, Washington, DC  

Aug. 7-12 - Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Academy, WVU College of Business & Economics Center for Executive Education, Morgantown WV