Stem cells spur tech collaboration

Connecticut Innovations and the University of Connecticut have birthed a technology development project via the school”™s stem cell incubator program.

Connecticut Innovations”™ office of technology commercialization has established CTech at the UConn technology incubation program, a high-tech business incubator at the UConn Health Center Stem Cell Institute in Farmington. The CTech offices, located at 400 Farmington Ave., are now open for occupancy by developing technology groups.
Gov. M. Jodi Rell made public the joint initiative between the two entities last week.

Rell said the incubator will focus on attracting participants from several key sectors, including bioscience, medical devices and bio materials, as well as other science, engineering, and math-based ventures. During the first year, funding priority will be given to UConn faculty and student ventures, however Rell said, the incubator is also interested in supporting businesses that collaborate with UConn or are of joint interest to UConn and CI.

CTech at the UConn technology incubation program is CI”™s third CTech initiative.

The first CTech was opened in Science Park at Yale in New Haven. This facility is currently undergoing an expansion and is due to open its new space at 5 Science Park Sept. 1.

The second CTech incubator, announced in April, is the “CTech IncUBator” at the University of Bridgeport, which is currently accepting applications from interested companies and is scheduled to open in the fall of this year.