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Louisiana Tech University

Location

Ruston, LA

Build to Scale Program

Venture Challenge

Project Name

Louisiana Tech Innovation Ecosystem Hub

Award Amount

Federal Share

Local Match

$1.5 million

$1.7 million

The Louisiana Tech Innovation Ecosystem Hub will scale up integrated entrepreneurship, innovation, and corporate partnership initiatives to strengthen the university’s role as a hub of the innovation ecosystem along the nterstate20 corridor in north Louisiana. The project’s focus is to expand capacity in three areas: (1) Regional Business Accelerator training, (2) Proof-of-Concept Center project management, and (3) Regional networking/engagement activities with a focus on underserved communities. The regional demand for these services exceeds local capacity and is expected to increase.

The strategic elements of this project are market-relevant, based on the university’s strengths, and aligned with the needs of local communities. The priorities for the Louisiana Tech Innovation Ecosystem Hub are:

  1. economic recovery and resilience focused on small and mid-size enterprises (SME) pivoting and retooling, launching new ventures to emerging markets, and displaced workers pursuing entrepreneurial opportunities;
  2. business targets in emerging/high-growth industries, new ventures connected to large regional employers, Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) projects connected to national defense, and industries critical to recovery; and,
  3. demographic outreach that prioritizes dislocated workers, veterans, women, minorities and entrepreneurs in rural or distressed areas.

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Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (OIE)

Build To Scale (B2S)
formerly Regional Innovation Strategies Program (RIS)

SPRINT Challenge

STEM Talent Challenge

Accelerate R2 Network Challenge

National Advisory Council on Innovation & Entrepreneurship (NACIE)

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