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Orlando, Fla. (January 28, 2004) - Representatives from the University of Central Florida Technology Incubator will share secrets of its success at two major conferences this spring.
Both presentations highlight the regional partnerships responsible for the establishment of the incubation program and its role in the economic development efforts of the region. "There would be no incubator, much less one that has achieved such high levels of success, without the full support of this community," said Tom O'Neal, Associate VP for Research and chief executive officer for the UCF Technology Incubator. O'Neal added that "Key partners such as Orange County, the City of Orlando, the Florida High Tech Corridor, TRDA and UCF created a vision and put forth significant effort and resources to make it a reality."
Tom O'Neal and Carol Ann Dykes, chief operating officer of the Incubator, plan to make a presentation on university incubators in March at the Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM) annual conference in San Antonio, Texas. They will share insights on the Incubator's role in the technology transfer and commercialization activities of UCF.
In addition, O'Neal and Dykes will present a session entitled "Priceless Partnerships," at the National Business Incubation Association (NBIA) annual conference in Atlanta in April. The session will detail the local community's success in establishing private, corporate and community partnerships to support the companies in the Incubator and impact local economic development.
"The University of Central Florida Technology Incubator is one of the most successful technology incubators in the U.S. because of the partnerships we have established in the Central Florida community and in the technology industry," O'Neal said. "Our partnerships are more than just assets, they are the lifeblood of this organization and one of the key elements governing the success of any technology transfer, commercialization, or incubation effort," he added.
Since its founding in 1999, the UCF Technology Incubator has helped more than 70 emerging technology companies create over $140 million in revenue and more than 450 new jobs with an average salary of $59,000. As a result of this success, the UCF Technology Incubator was recently named the 2004 Technology Incubator of the Year by the National Business Incubation Association. Headquartered in Research Park near the University, the Incubator is a true collaboration in economic development between UCF, Orange County , the City of Orlando and the Florida High Tech Corridor Council. For more information, please visit http://www.incubator.ucf.edu
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Contacts:
Melissa Debach 407-882-0205 UCF Technology Incubator
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