Holy centrifuges. I was looking for the next addition to my journal while cruising above the New Jersey Turnpike in my Helixpod like a celestial Bruce Springsteen when all of a sudden my BioStrength Locator started to go off the charts.
The words bioscience incubators started flashing through my visual cortex connectors with a pulsation so strong that for a moment I thought I was flying down the midway of another exotic land in New Jersey called the boardwalk. I was blinded by the light.
What are these incubators? What do they do?
Using my scanning sensors, I quickly learned that New Jersey has a network of business incubators that literally runs from one end of the state to the other.
Showing great wisdom, this incubator network offers a nurturing environment where early-stage companies are provided critical support services including coaching, access to capital, technical and business resources and networking opportunities. The incubators offer flexible office or laboratory space in a professional business environment.
The names and locations of all the incubators are too numerous to mention, but I’ve made a note to check them all out during my travel, including the Burlington County College High Technology Small Business & Life Science Incubator in Mount Laurel and the Enterprise Development Center on the campus of NJIT in Newark.
I’ve decided to get a better look at one of these amazing places and set down at the Commercialization Center for Innovative Technologies (CCIT) in North Brunswick.
As I observed scientists running from lab to lab and colleagues having “big thoughts” in conferences room, I came to learn that the CCIT, which is operated by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, is one of the more significant incubation facilities in the nation dedicated to life sciences and biotechnology companies.
Located in the heart of the state's "Research Corridor" between Princeton and Rutgers universities, the 46,000-square-foot CCIT facility offers the most wet labs in the state for incubation. Customizable office, production, and "plug-in ready" wet and dry laboratory space is available to qualified tenants at below-market rent.
One of the best advantages of locating in CCIT is being a part of the unique corporate technology transfer initiative. This program has been established to spur collaboration and business opportunities by linking small life sciences and biotechnology startup businesses with major corporations in the state. The initiative encourages a more rapid transfer of discoveries from the laboratory to the marketplace, and fosters collaborations with public research and medical research.
You probably have already guessed that soft landings are important to a fellow like me and I was impressed to learn that in recognition of its success, the center has become one of only 10 business incubation programs in the world that have earned the Soft Landings International Incubator designation since the National Business Incubation Association began the program in 2005. The Soft Landings designation recognizes an incubator's focus on welcoming non-domestic firms into its domestic market with translation services, help cutting through governmental red tape, access to capital, domestic market research, and other programs.
“Yeah, but does that all really work,” I whispered into my data transponder and to my great amazement it chided me for not knowing that among the center’s graduates, Amicus Therapeutics in Cranbury and Chromocell of North Brunswick both announced significant expansions in the past year.
“OK,” I responded trying to defend myself, “but what does this have to do with Biotech 2009?”
My personal “Hal” shot back again, “Make sure you pay a great deal of attention to the posters being presented at the Innovation Corridor at Biotech 2009. You’re going to see some fantastic ideas from budding scientists and entrepreneurs who are located in incubators in Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.”
I will I promised myself, and as I started to resume my journey and wondered for a moment if I should be trading in my Helixpod for a sweet little pink Cadillac.
On to the next exciting adventure.
Until next time.
Helixman
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