TRDA opens new innovation center
BYLINE: WAYNE T. PRICE Contact Price at 242-3658 or wprice@floridatoday.com
FLORIDA TODAY
About 250 people -- including local lawmakers and economic-development officials -- turned out for Thursday's official grand opening of the Technological Research and Development Authority's new Business Innovation Center in Melbourne.
Officials estimate the 30,998-square-foot center, located off NASA Boulevard, will serve up to 30 new or expanding technology businesses in the area, and create 70 to 100 jobs in the first four years of operation.
The Business Innovation Center program allows tenants to pay a relatively modest monthly fee that covers office space, high-speed Internet access, multimedia conference room and other services.
The idea is to give up-and-coming high-tech companies a chance to grow, in hopes they will become successful, stay in the area and hire more workers.
The innovation center also gives tenants regular mentoring by successful business operators, and access to lawyers, accountants, and marketing and financial professionals.
Four companies are the inaugural clients at the center: Adapt 4, Audigence, ColorSculpt, and Sea-Watch.
Five other companies currently are going through a six-week workshop series, a precursor for applying for residency in the incubator. They are:
--- Artemis Services Ltd. Co., a technical consulting and services provided to the Department of Defense, and various federal and state agencies in areas such as test range instrumentation, operation and maintenance solutions, meeting facilitation, and research and development.
--- Brevard Research Inc., a multidiscipline engineering firm with expertise in alternative energy systems, electro-optics, electro-chemistry and 3-D mechanical design.
--- Future Streams, a wind energy recovery unit business.
--- Solmax Technologies LLC, a company that specializes in research, development and manufacturing of low-cost and high-efficiency solar cell, LED devices, solid-state sensors and related optoelectronic devices and films.
--- Silver Quarter Solutions, a company that offers customized online training courseware design and development for small and midsized companies.
"Our goal is to help startup technology firms in Central Florida grow into financially viable, free-standing, high-growth companies," Technological Research and Development Authority Executive Director Chester Straub Jr. said.
"The Innovation Center brings a wide range of business resources under one roof, thereby reducing overhead expenses for these start-up companies and laying the foundation for success," Straub said.
Others attending Thursday's event included Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Sandy K. Baruah; state Sen. Mike Haridopolos, R-Melbourne; state Rep. Thad Altman, R-Viera; state Rep. Ralph Poppell, R-Vero Beach; and Dinah Atkins, president of the National Business Incubation Association.
In addition to the four inaugural startup businesses, there are two program tenants at the center providing services to clients and to local businesses.
One of the program tenants is Florida Tech. It has representatives for four of its departments at the center: the Office of University Publications, the Office of Florida Tech Consulting, the Professional Development Programs of University College and the National Center for Small Business Information.
The other program tenant is The Center for SupplyPoint Integration of the Florida Manufacturing Extension Partnership.
The new Business Innovation Center was constructed by the Melbourne Airport Authority, and is supported by the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration, NASA, Brevard County and the city of Melbourne.
Contact Price at 242-3658 or wprice@floridatoday.com
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Locator Map - J. Joslin, FLORIDA TODAY
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At a glance
--- Name: Technological Research and Development Authority's Melbourne Business Innovation Center
--- Location: 1050 W. NASA Blvd, Melbourne.
--- Size: 30,998 square feet.
--- Inaugural tenants at the center: Adapt 4, Audigence, ColorSculpt and Sea-Watch.