EAST LANSING, Mich. — The city of East Lansing and Michigan State University announced today that MSU Technologies will be the anchor tenant in the city’s SmartZone space adjacent to the new East Lansing Technology Innovation Center.
This announcement follows last fall’s grand opening of the Technology Innovation Center, a 6,600-square-foot business incubator dedicated to supporting the growth of technology-based mid-Michigan startups. It is located downtown at 325 E. Grand River Avenue, above Barnes & Noble Booksellers. The MSU technology transfer office will move from its quarters south of campus on Collins Road to the SmartZone, which clusters technology-based enterprises with support facilities.
“MSU Technologies brings our inventions to the marketplace, so it is only fitting to operate MSU Technologies in the marketplace,” said MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon. “This move will improve service to faculty and allow us to interact with companies and investors in a cutting-edge business environment.”
“This move will not only create synergy between MSU Technologies and the technology-based businesses housed within the Technology Innovation Center, it also will create synergy between the city of East Lansing and MSU community as a whole,” added East Lansing Mayor Victor Loomis. “In these economic times it is through partnerships like this that we will stand out as a community and region for our joint efforts in continuing to diversify and improve the Michigan economy.”
MSU Technologies, currently located in a 3,600-square-foot space within the MSU foundation-owned MBI building, identifies and commercializes inventions created by MSU’s world-renowned researchers. The office has a growing staff of 15 full-time employees who work closely with MSU inventors and with businesses interested in licensing the inventions to create new products and services. MSU Technologies’ relocation to the Technology Innovation Center will not only accommodate continued growth to some 20 full-time employees this year, but will also provide space for a planned MSU internship program.
“Being across the street from campus in the East Lansing business district gives us the best of both worlds, as we will be easily accessible to both researchers and businesses,” said Mike Poterala, executive director of MSU Technologies. “We appreciate the tremendous support we have received from both the university and from the city of East Lansing, and look forward to working with our new neighbors in the Technology Innovation Center.”
MSU Technologies will occupy its own 6,600-square-foot space adjacent to the Technology Innovation Center. The move is expected to be complete by midsummer 2009.
This project is the result of a partnership between the city of East Lansing, MSU, the East Lansing Downtown Development Authority and MSU Technologies. Consistent with the goals of East Lansing’s Big Picture Comprehensive Plan, it promotes a diversified and growing tax base and development and growth of the knowledge-based regional economy.
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Michigan State University has been advancing knowledge and transforming lives through innovative teaching, research and outreach for more than 150 years. MSU is known internationally as a major public university with global reach and extraordinary impact. Its 17 degree-granting colleges attract scholars worldwide who are interested in combining education with practical problem solving.