SCRA Hosts Forum to Connect SC Launch Companies and Federal Government Agencies
June 3, 2010
Forum Positions SC Start-Ups for Additional GrowthOpportunities
CHARLESTON, SC – June 3, 2010 – SCRA, a global leader in appliedresearch and commercialization, held a forum on May 25th and May 26th atits Charleston offices that connected dozens of South Carolina-based,entrepreneurial, SC Launch start-up companies with five FederalGovernment Agency executives. Mission-oriented Federal governmentagencies, with whom SCRA has long-standing business partnerships, areoften seeking specific solutions which innovative, knowledge-based smallbusinesses are able to provide. This event provided a forum forconnecting these entities.
There were more than 75 attendees at the forum, which also introduced SCLaunch company principals to senior executives at SCRA and itsaffiliate, ATI. Many of the entrepreneurial start-up companies inattendance exhibited and presented their products and services to thefollowing governmental agency executives from Washington, DC , whoparticipated in the forum:
- Dr. David Honey, Director of Research, Office of the Director,Defense Research and Engineering, U.S. Department of Defense
- Mr. David Canada, Acting Deputy Director, Center for Small BusinessUtilization at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
- Dr. Barbara B. Mittleman, Director, Public-Private PartnershipProgram in the Office of Science Policy, National Institutes of Health
- Mr. Kent Hibben, Business Opportunity Session Coordinator, SmallBusiness Specialist, U.S. Department of Energy
- Dr. Thomas Cellucci, Chief Commercialization Officer, U.S.Department of Homeland Security
SCRA and ATI executives, whose business teams serve many Federalcustomers, presented an overview of ATI’s expertise in areas such asadvanced maritime technologies, advanced materials, health care andclean energy. These speakers also presented case studies of appliedresearch programs that SCRA has implemented across multiple Federalagencies, including a military e-commerce system and a large, ordnancetechnology consortium.
Since the inception of the SC Launch Program four years ago, SC Launchhas assisted, helped form and/or land more than 230 knowledge-basedentities in South Carolina, providing both funding and services to morethan 178. The Program has attracted more than $104 million in add-on,private equity investment in South Carolina companies. SCRA operationshave made a cumulative economic contribution of more than $13.7B toSouth Carolina.
About SCRA
http:/www.scra.org
SCRA is a global leader in applied research and commercializationservices with offices in South Carolina, Ohio and in McLean, Virginia.SCRA collaborates to advance technology, providing technology-basedsolutions with assured outcomes to industry and government, with thehelp of research universities in SC, the US and around the world.
About SC Launch
http://www.sclaunch.org
SC Launch, an SCRA program, assists entrepreneurial start-up companieswith up-front counseling, seed-funding, and access to a powerfulresource network. The SC Launch mission is to help generate knowledgeeconomy jobs in South Carolina, enhance the state’s quality of life andprovide opportunity for all South Carolinians in the new economy.
About ATI
http://www.aticorp.org
The Advanced Technology Institute builds global consortia to develop andimplement innovative solutions for manufacturing, aerospace,automotive, maritime, metals, and healthcare industries. ATI-ledcollaborations attract world-class talent from premier companies,universities, and government agencies, to define technology roadmaps andresearch portfolios matched to business demands that provide therequisite resources to solve shared challenges.
ATI’s partners report improved market transition and return oninvestment with reduced risk. These practical business benefits enablethe downstream economic and social benefits of the new technologies -such as safety, affordability, manufacturing competitiveness,environmental protection, and energy conservation. A private, non-profitresearch corporation with principal operations in Charleston, SC, ATIis an affiliate of SCRA.
