|
For immediate Release
November 06, 2003
VBDC executive director speaks at natural products innovation
conference
LEXINGTON, Ky. – David Lohr, executive director of the
Virginia Biosciences Development Center (VBDC), spoke today
to a group of scientists, entrepreneurs and business leaders
at Kentucky’s first statewide conference on natural
products innovation.
Lohr shared the Virginia BioTechnology Research Park’s
accomplishments and outlined the role of the VBDC in converting
innovative technologies into economic opportunities. Specifically,
Lohr reviewed the key drivers for a biosciences incubator,
gave an overview of the unique challenges an entrepreneur
faces in the biosciences industry and described the VBDC’s
innovative approach to supporting bioscience entrepreneurs.
“The VBDC is a virtual business accelerator within
the Park’s incubator, designed to deliver both management
assistance and basic support services to our entrepreneurs,”
said Lohr. “Over the past seven years, more than 50
new companies have started in the incubator. On average, they
stay about 2.5 years with us. Sixteen have successfully graduated
including three publicly traded firms.”
The conference focused on research and commercialization
of naturally derived, value- added products and was sponsored
by the University of Kentucky’s Natural Products Alliance
(NPA) and Kentucky Tobacco Research and Development Center
(KTRDC).
The VBDC provides business assistance to start-up companies
located in the Virginia BioTechnology Research Park’s
incubator facility. The VBDC professional staff provides the
Park’s entrepreneurs one-on-one business counseling,
access to resource networks and pro bono professional services,
assistance with business plan preparation, intellectual property
consulting, conduits to start-up funding and staff recruitment.
In addition, a key service provided by VBDC is assistance
in forming business advisory boards to mentor entrepreneurs
and advise start-up companies. 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.
Contact:
Nicky Colomb
Virginia BioTechnology Research Park
Phone: (804) 828-6884
E-mail: ncolomb@vabiotech.com
Web site: http://www.vabiotech.com
|
