Stories of Technology, Innovation, & Entrepreneurship in the Southeast

From the University of Alabama in Huntsville:

The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) is embarking on an extensive real estate project on University Drive as it seeks a master developer to collaborate and transform the former Executive Plaza site. The master developer will restore the 58-acre property, creating a vibrant multi-use district and establishing a signature college-town experience to drive enhanced satisfaction, recruitment, and retention of students, faculty, and staff. The planned mixed-use development may include student housing, a UAH-anchored research building, collaborative build-to-suit commercial office space, and retail/entertainment options.

“The Executive Plaza property presents UAH with a unique opportunity to provide more amenities for our students, faculty, and staff. Huntsville is growing and our university must adapt to the needs of future students,” said Charles L. Karr, UAH President. “We have partnered with Rieth Jones Advisors and PFM Financial Advisors to guide us through this exciting process. We are looking forward to adding another teammate to our group.”

This project aims to deepen ties to the Huntsville community, bolster research standings, and fortify UAH’s leading position as the premier higher education and academic research provider in Huntsville and the Southeast.

From the University of Cincinnati:

Bearcat Ventures, a student-led initiative at the University that redefines experiential education in venture capitalism, has announced its first two investments. They are: Tembo, a Postgres developer platform founded by a former University of Cincinnati (UC) student, and Band Connect, a connected health platform co-founded by a UC College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning alumna.

The two start-ups have deep ties to the university. Tembo resides in UC’s 1819 Innovation Hub, and Band Connect went through the very first cohort of the 1819 Innovation Hub’s Venture Lab program back in 2019.

Each start-up received a $25,000 investment from UC Bearcat Ventures.

From Baylor University:

A multidisciplinary team of Baylor University researchers is working to advance technology that could drastically reduce the time and logistical footprints needed for the sustainable development and repair of products for the U.S. military. The technology, called Friction Stir Additive Manufacturing (FSAM), is an emerging approach in materials science whose rapid maturity would lead to significant advances in manufacturing for the Department of Defense and a wide variety of civilian organizations.

The research emanates from Baylor’s Point-of-Need Innovations Center (PONI), an interdisciplinary research and development center in materials, manufacturing, engineering design, business management and logistics housed under the Office of the Vice Provost for Research. The work was funded by a $15 million congressional appropriation through the U.S. Army Research Lab (ARL) and National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS). The support will provide a rapid and more sustainable approach to the procurement of mission-critical components for aircraft, ground vehicles, and more.

From Binghamton University:

Binghamton University and National Science Foundation (NSF) officials joined together recently to officially launch the Upstate New York Energy Storage Engine after winning the designation earlier this year. It is one of the 10 inaugural “NSF Regional Innovation Engines” in the country, receiving $15 million from the federal agency for the first two years of the project and up to $160 million over 10 years.

Announced in 2021 when the University won $500,000 in technical assistance funding in the first phase of the American Rescue Plan’s “Build Back Better Regional Challenge” (BBBRC) with a proposal to turn the Southern Tier into an energy technology hub, Battery NY was originally planned for a different site. Now, however, it will be located in a former Gannett warehouse facility in Johnson City, now owned by the Binghamton’s foundation, which will also serve as the future home of the Battery NY research and development center supporting industries looking to create advanced, sustainable battery technologies.

Along with the NSF Engines designation, Battery NY also received $63.7 million through the BBBRC in September 2022 and was designated as a federal battery tech hub last October.

From Arizona State University:

The Chandler, AZ City Council recently approved a one-year agreement between the city and the Arizona Board of Regents, on behalf of Arizona State University (ASU), to continue the Chandler Endeavor Venture Innovation Incubator program — a business incubator and ecosystem building services —  to support local entrepreneurs and start-up companies while engaging with the community.

The program will continue to be housed at the ASU Chandler Innovation Center in downtown Chandler and managed by leaders from ASU’s J. Orin Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute. The agreement will continue through June 30, 2025. Nearly 1,000 people have been engaged with the program.

 Several events occur each month, including:

• Monthly Forums: Topic-driven events that delve into crucial topics to propel the growth of your venture. Includes self-guided online courses, group discussion and fireside chats with local entrepreneurs. A new series of monthly forums will start in September.
• Pitch In: A free community event to pitch your idea and get real-time feedback and resources. It’s also a great opportunity to connect with other local business owners and entrepreneurs. Pitch In is held every second and fourth Wednesday of each month, starting up this September.
• Coffee + Connections: Explore the connections in your community with conversations on innovation and being an entrepreneur. Network with peers and mentors while enjoying snacks and refreshments. Coffee + Connections is held the third Wednesday of each month, starting again in September.
• Venture Challenge: This signature event includes a pitch competition where entrepreneurs are judged by a panel of experts and have a chance at winning funding to help implement their business plans. This challenge event is held twice per year, planned for December 2024 and May 2025.

From the University of Texas at Austin:

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has begun construction on the Leadership-Class Computing Facility (LCCF), a cutting-edge center led by the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC) at The University of Texas at Austin that will revolutionize computational research and development.

“LCCF represents a pivotal step forward in our mission to support transformative research across all fields of science and engineering,” said NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan. “This facility will provide the computational resources necessary to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time, enabling researchers to push the boundaries of what is possible.”

When it is operational sometime in 2026, the LCCF will be the largest academic supercomputer dedicated to open-scientific research in the NSF portfolio.

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