Grant

June 4 - 8, 2012

  • $3 million to the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority and the State of Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, to fund the renovation of an existing building into a LEED-certified alternative energy and biotechnology demonstration incubator in Kailua-Kona. This facility will serve as a proof on concept center for businesses with products developed by researchers in the Lab. This project provides stability for economic development through long-term public-private collaboration and supports the creation of businesses and jobs in Hawaii. This investment is part of a $6 million project that the grantees estimate will create 985 jobs and generate $1 million in private investment.
  • $1 million to Ogden City Corporation, Ogden, Utah, to renovate and equip an existing three-story building to create a mobile applications laboratory in Ogden. This initiative, called STARTUP Ogden, will be operated by a consortium of partners including Ogden City, Weber State University (WSU), Weber State University Research Foundation, and private sector industry leaders. WSU and partners from the private sector will educate, train, and mentor students, entrepreneurs, and startup companies that are developing new and useful services for consumers on their mobile devices. Accelerator space will also be available for entrepreneurs or new companies that have "graduated" from the training/mentoring and need specialized mentoring for their spin off mobile applications or software, creating opportunities for high-skilled, high-tech jobs in the region. This investment is part of a $1.335 million project that the grantee estimates will create 750 jobs and generate $62 million in private investment.
  • $200,000 to the Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, to enhance Florida ExpertNet, a knowledge management web portal that provides a central location where business, industry, and government can identify, contact, and access expertise and resources from Florida's universities, by expanding its capacity and scope. This project adds tools and reorganizes content based on business clusters, strengthening ExpertNet's role as a collaborative force in economic development. This investment is part of a $400,000 project.