A $100,000 Ohio Technology Action Fund grant has been awarded to Battelle’s Environmental Technology Commercialization Center (ETC²) and Central State University (CSU) in Wilberforce, Ohio, for a collaborative proposal to establish a National Environmental Technology Incubator. The proposed incubator will be located in the McLin International Center for Water Resources Management on the campus of CSU. The incubator will serve small technology companies, researchers, and scientists, with a focus on environmental technologies to stimulate economic development, promote the creation of new firms, products, and processes, and enhance educational opportunities for CSU students.

The state of Ohio currently has approximately 25 business incubators, but none are focused on environmental technologies. Environmental technologies is the one of the fastest-growing industry sectors worldwide. The global market for environmental technologies was estimated at $420 billion in 1996 and is expected to reach $600 billion by 2010.

Technology incubators enable start-up firms and entrepreneurs to bring new ideas and technologies to market. A study by the National Business Incubation Association (NBIA) finds that nearly 87 percent of the firms that graduate from incubators survive, and 84 percent remain in their communities.

Initial services for companies, entrepreneurs, researchers and scientists will include access to laboratories and equipment, discounted office space, business support, and advanced information systems. At the same time, ETC² is launching an additional targeted market assessment of environmental firms in Southwest Ohio and working with the Environmental Protection Agency to assess the national market. A national search for an executive director for the incubator is currently under way.

For more information on the National Environmental Technology Incubator contact Harry Stone at (513) 362-2600 or via e-mail at stoneh@battelle.org.