By Jason L. Levan
Penn State University was preparing to open its newest innovation hub in October. The new building is a six-story, state-of-the-art, multi-use home for innovation on Burrowes Street in downtown State College that will serve students, innovators, and community entrepreneurs.
The 85,000-square-foot building will support the relocation of Happy Valley LaunchBox powered by PNC Bank and add entrepreneurial and innovation resources such as makerspaces, a virtual-reality/immersive technology laboratory, dedicated space for student clubs, a sixth-floor overlook event space, and collaboration areas designed to accelerate innovation, technology commercialization, and local startup companies.
The all-new Makerspace for Fabrication, located on the ground floor of the building, with provide access to cutting-edge machinery for prototyping in a wide range of materials that will assist startups in moving through early product development, increasing their ability to rapidly design, prototype, and test potential solutions. The makerspace will offer a range of large-scale computerized numerically controlled machines, metal-working and welding, woodworking, and even a professional painting booth.
Just a half-floor up, a Digital Makerspace will offer access to the latest in rapid prototyping technology and will include an array of high-end 3-D printing technologies, laser engravers, and electronics prototyping. It will offer computers with 3-D modeling and CAD software, laser engraving, and small-scale electronics prototyping.
Happy Valley LaunchBox, previously located on South Allen Street, will be moving into the second floor of the Penn State Innovation Hub. Its mission is to de-risk and accelerate early stage, scalable startups. They provide no-cost services, support, and resources designed to help entrepreneurs avoid common mistakes and empower them to make more informed business decisions. The services they offer include co-working and collaborations space, business coaching, advice, accelerator programs, microgrants, and expert speaker series. Through Penn State’s Law clinics, they also offer no-cost legal services including document drafting, choice-of-entity counseling, and business formation service, as well as IP services related to patents, trademarks, and copyrights.
Happy Valley LaunchBox is one of 21 innovation spaces created across the state by Invent Penn State was started in 2015 by university President Eric Barron to spur economic development, job creation, and student career success. Since its inception, Invent Penn State has awarded seed grants to 21 Penn State campuses to create innovation spaces where entrepreneurs can work on their startups with guidance to help de-risk and accelerate.
Because it’s a statewide program, 96 percent of Pennsylvanians have a LaunchBox or innovation hub within 30 miles of where they live or work, Ashley Palmer, interim director of marketing and communications for Invent Penn State, pointed out. In the last five years, the LaunchBox and Innovation Hub Network has supported 3,325 community entrepreneurs, launched 164 new Pennsylvania companies, graduated 345 startup teams from accelerator programs, created 247 new products, and created 194 new jobs, Palmer said.
Topping off the building, the sixth floor will offer airy meeting and event space that inspires collaboration and the exchange of ideas between innovators, makers, creators, and the community. Open to both the local and university community, this space has a 360-degree view of Happy Valley that will enhance any gathering.
Lee Erickson, chief amplifier at the Happy Valley LaunchBox, described the LaunchBox as “Penn State’s business accelerator.”
“We help people who have an idea for a new business figure out if anybody cares — other than themselves,” Erickson told the Daily Collegian in September.
James Delattre serves as associate vice president for research and director of the Office for Entrepreneurship and Commercialization, where he leads overall program development for Invent Penn State.
The entrepreneurial spirit behind the program takes center stage each spring during Penn State Startup Week powered by PNC, a university-wide event that brings some of the leading minds in entrepreneurship and innovation to Penn State campuses across the state. Startup Week events include entrepreneurial workshops, networking events, student pitch competitions and presentations from startup founders and corporate innovators, including many Penn State alumni.
Some of the more notable “graduates” of the program include Hunter Swisher, Phospholutions Inc. CEO, who was involved in numerous Invent Penn State events and signature programs, Palmer said. Helping to provide environmental solutions, Phospholutions Inc. specializes in developing patented technology to alleviate the environmental impact of phosphorus fertilizer.
Two others are Sheridan Miyamoto, director of the SAFE-T Center and associate professor of nursing at PSU, and Birgitt Boschitsch, a materials scientist and co-founder and CEO of Spotless Materials, which has created a bio-inspired, self-healing coating for windows, windshields, and other surfaces. The coatings repel water and dirt, making them easier to keep clean.
For more information on the new Penn State Innovation Hub, visit innovationhub.psu.edu.
