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For Immediate Release
May 27, 2003
Park hosts incubator professionals
RICHMOND, Va. –More than 500 incubator professionals visited the Virginia BioTechnology Research Park for a walking tour of its 27,000-square-foot incubator facility during the 17th annual National Business Incubation Association conference, which was recently held in Richmond.
The Park’s staff was on hand to guide visitors from more than 40 states and 30 nations on 20-minute tours of offices, laboratories, common equipment rooms and conference rooms. The participants also had an opportunity to speak with entrepreneurs and network with one another at a reception hosted by the Park’s incubator business accelerator, the Virginia Biosciences Development Center (VBDC).
“We were excited to tour so many people from across the world through our incubator facility,” said David Lohr, executive director of the VBDC. “It gave us an opportunity to show other economic development professionals how we have successfully addressed the challenges entrepreneurs face when starting a life sciences business.”
Lohr and Marty Kaszubowski, director of the Hampton Roads Technology Incubator in Norfolk, Va., were guest speakers at one of NBIA’s educational sessions during the conference. The session focused on the importance of partnerships between incubators and local universities as well as entrepreneur support and technology commercialization programs.
Two client companies of the VBDC — Bill Police and Living Microsystems, Inc.— were chosen out of a pool of applicants to pitch their companies to a panel of venture capital professionals at a Virginia Venture Capital Forum luncheon, which was held on the final day of the conference.
The VBDC, located at the Virginia BioTechnology Research Park, provides business assistance to start-up companies located in the park’s incubator facility. In less than three years, the VBDC has emerged as a major contributor to the growth of early stage life science technology businesses in the Richmond area. VBDC staff has counseled more than 23 start-ups and helped to birth eight of them. Since its inception, VBDC has secured cash and/or in-kind commitments, grants and contracts exceeding $750,000 for the benefit of growing the life sciences industry in the region.
Contact:
Nicky Colomb
Virginia BioTechnology Research Park
Phone: (804) 828-6884
E-mail: ncolomb@vabiotech.com
Web site: www.vabiotech.com
David Lohr
Virginia Biosciences Development Center
Phone: (804) 828-7048
E-mail: drl@vabiotech.com
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