2010 – Page 18 of 78

Sustainability has become a hot major at U-M

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September 22, 2010

Sustainability is not only a buzz word at the University of Michigan these days, it's a way of academic life. The university has experienced a sharp increase in green studies, whether they be majors that revolve around sustainability or environmentally friendly certificates that complement traditional degrees, such as business administration."We're excited because we have seen explosive growth in sustainability-related programs across the university," says Mike Shriberg, education director at the Graham Environmental Sustainability Institute at U-M.So far undergraduate enrollment in the Program in the Environment has more than doubled from 128 students in 2005 to an estimated 291 today. Master's-level enrollment at the School of Natural Resources and Environment has jumped 83 percent to 225 students today. The Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise enrollment doubled to 45 students.A lot of these students see a big blue ocean of opportunity in sustainability related fields where jobs have become plentiful and seemingly ever expanding."There has been booming growth in the clean energy sector," Shirberg says. "That has been happening lately even when all of the other sectors are down."Source: Mike Shirberg, education director at the Graham Environmental Sustainability Institute at the University of MichiganWriter: Jon Zemke

Accelerate Michigan Student Idea Competition quarterbacks student entrepreneurs

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Entrepreneurship

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September 22, 2010

The University of Michigan has some big expectations for the Accelerate Michigan Student Idea Competition, an offshoot of the inaugural Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition."It's a great opportunity for our students and the state of Michigan," says Doug Neal, managing director of the Center for Entrepreneurship in U-M's College of Engineering. "I'd love to see 1,000 students participate in Accelerate Michigan."That would put it on par with U-M's 1,000 Pitches competition, which attracted 2,065 participants in 2009; more are expected this year. Neal says the two competitions are quite similar because they both require students to primarily pitch business ideas.The Accelerate Michigan Student Idea Competition offers a $50,000 prize to any college student attending school in the state. Participants must submit a one-page business plan, a three-minute video pitch, and formulate a 15-minute live pitch. The deadline for applications is October 22. For information, click here.The Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition is offering $1 million in prizes to start-ups in Michigan or planning to move to Michigan. The idea is to showcase the state's entrepreneurial ecosystem to a large audience of investors in town for the Big Chill hockey game at Michigan Stadium on Dec. 11. Source: Doug Neal, managing director of the Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of MichiganWriter: Jon Zemke

Dataspace to grow its 1099 workforce

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Economic Development

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September 22, 2010

Local companies aren't just growing from hiring employees. Some are making moves by adding independent contractors (commonly called 1099 for their IRS code), such as Ann Arbor's Dataspace.The downtown-based tech firm, founded in 1994, still has a staff of about 10 people. However, it has augmented its headcount by bringing on a couple of 1099 contractors over the last year. The firm expects to add another 2-5 independent contractors within the next year to help maintain its flexibility for new projects and revenue growth."I don't think 20 percent growth this year is out of the question," says Ben Taub, CEO of Dataspace.Dataspace focuses on tabulating and interpretation of sales numbers and coming up with ways to take advantage of them. It's also working on business intelligence consulting, which is sees as a growing sector in tight economic times.Source: Ben Taub, CEO of DataspaceWriter: Jon Zemke

Ann Arbor tech firms lock down $1M in federal grants

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Community Development

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September 22, 2010

More than $1 million in seed capital is heading toward three Ann Arbor-based start-ups, all Ann Arbor SPARK clients, thanks to federal grants.Akervall Technologies took in $120,000 from the U.S. Dept. of Defense Small Business Innovation Research program to develop the second generation of the Protech Dent mouth guard. Arbor Photonics received a $44,000 Small Business Innovation Research grant for its development of high power, single-emitter fiber laser modules with exceptional beam quality and narrow line width. However, the biggest winner is OG Technologies, which received nearly $1 million from the U.S. Dept of Energy. The 12-year-old company will use the $933,000 for the development of an optical caliper, a measurement tool for hot objects. Put simply, it's creating a camera that can take comprehensive pictures of extremely hot objects, such as newly made steel slabs. The new technology is expected to have primarily industrial uses. However, OG Technologies President Terry Liddy believes it has the potential for broader applications."We should have beta sites in steel mills within two years," Liddy says.He expects the grant, which should fund the rest of the technology's development, will allow the company to add to its staff of 11 employees and a couple of summer interns. The hope is the company will hire a handful of new staff, including engineers, assemblers, and salespersons.Source: Ann Arbor SPARK and Terry Liddy, president of OG Technologies Writer: Jon Zemke

FreeStride finishes clinical trial to explore veterinary applications for pain and arthritis drug

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Innovation News

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September 22, 2010

FreeStride Therapeutics is getting ready to hit its stride next year after it finishes laying the groundwork for what could turn out to be a long run in drug development.The Ann Arbor-based company, which is repurposing a human drug for veterinary purposes, has completed its first clinical trial and is raising seed capital to complete development. The start-up expects to raise $3.5-$4 million by year-end so it can seek FDA approval within three years. Thus far the Michigan Pre-Seed Capital Fund has provided funding for the founders to continue their research."It's all lab time," says Michael Long, who co-founded the three-person company a year-and-a half ago with David Olson and Noura Bashshur. "It's all about clinical trials and horses."FreeStride Therapeutics is working with Ohio State University to create a drug that relieves and even prevents shin pain for racing horses. It even has implications for companion animals, like dogs and cats, suffering from arthritis.Source: Michael Long, co-founder and COO of FreeStride TherapeuticsWriter: Jon Zemke

Ann Arbor makes 75 Best College Towns list

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Community Development

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September 15, 2010

The city of Ann Arbor and the U-M need to clear a little more room on the mantle for another piece of hardware. You know what, maybe Tree Town should sacrifice one of its trees so it can start building another mantle.Excerpt:The College Destinations Index goes beyond standard college and university rankings, which typically focus on the schools themselves, including cost, academics and athletic programs. Instead, the CDI analyzes the areas in which the schools are located, including the overall academic environment, quality of life, such as cost of living and arts and leisure activities, and professional opportunities. "Deciding what school to attend should involve more than what the school itself has to offer," says Keming Liang, AIER's lead researcher on the project. "Where to attend college is just as important, because like the colleges themselves, the towns and cities in which they are located vary widely in the opportunities they offer students and recent graduates."Read the rest of the story here.

U-M transforms old Pfizer site into 174-acre research incubator

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Entrepreneurship

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September 15, 2010

Where there are challenges there is opportunity. This is an apt description for the University of Michigan's approach to the former Pfizer campus on the northeast side of Ann Arbor. Incubating numerous new life science companies there has the potential to become a bigger economic engine than Pfizer ever was. Excerpt:More than three years after Pfizer announced the closing of its massive pharmaceutical research campus in Ann Arbor, the 174-acre property is springing back to life, with grand ambitions for boosting southeast Michigan's economy.The University of Michigan is in the midst of transforming the land and its 28 buildings into a next-generation research hub where scientists, engineers and others will work closely with local businesses.Start-ups spun off from this kind of collaborative research will be located at a new business accelerator that is to help them grow.And in a first for the university, established, for-profit companies will be allowed to move into the facilities."The North Campus Research Complex represents an opportunity to do something different," said David Canter, the campus' executive director. "Just filling up space is not the mission."Read the rest of the story here.

U-M draws $277M in federal stimulus research grants

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Community Development

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September 15, 2010

The federal stimulus package has turned out to be a good thing for the University of Michigan - $277 million dollars' worth of good.The university has received about $140 million in each of the last two years in research grants from the feds. This represents a 12-14 percent bump in research expenditures at U-M."We're hoping these (federal stimulus-funded) projects will make us more competitive for the existing research grants," says Lee Katterman, project manager in the Office of the Vice President for Research at the University of Michigan.The university still hopes to maintain this new level of federal research funding, however, that's still a big hole to fill. Katterman says it's not easy to predict if there will be a drop-off. "That's the million-dollar question, you might say," Katterman says.The funding has created at least 550 jobs at the university, ranging from researchers to professors. Source: Lee Katterman, project manager in the Office of the Vice President for Research at the University of MichiganWriter: Jon Zemke

uRefer forecasts 100% revenue and staff growth

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Innovation News

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September 15, 2010

It takes three numbers to measure uRefer's year-over-year revenue growth, with double digit staffing increases expected next year.The Ann Arbor-based start-up is on pace for 100 percent growth in 2010 and expects to double that in 2011. It has added four people this year; staffing levels now stand at 10 employees, four independent contractors, and two interns. It expects to add 10 more positions in 2011. Founder Richard Beedon expects to fuel the company both internally and with new seed capital."We will probably close a venture round in 2011," says Beedon.The 3-year-old uRefer specializes in referrals. It originally helped companies to either set up referral programs or maximize existing ones. Today it has evolved its business model to what Beedon calls "advocate relationship management." The idea is to turn the customers, partners, and overall circles for uRefer's clients into their biggest advocates."Our approach is to convert these people into sales and marketing representatives for them," Beedon says.Source: Richard Beedon, founder of uReferWriter: Jon Zemke

Saline’s JAC Products to add 87 jobs; diversifies into lithium ion batteries and solar panel racks

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Community Development

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September 15, 2010

The diversification of JAC Products is a move that is allowing the Saline-based automotive supplier to add dozens of jobs.The 43-year-old Tier 1 supplier recently received a $572,000 state tax credit over the next five years to help fund its expansion. The deal should mean another 87 jobs, thanks to a $6.2 million project. Most of those jobs will be created in the first few years of the tax credit, which was awarded by the Michigan Economic Development Corp.JAC Products primarily makes automotive exterior parts, such as roof racks. It has recently expanded into manufacturing both lithium ion batteries and solar panel racks. The tax credit helped persuade the company to expand at its work spaces in Saline and Shelby Township instead of its plant in Georgia."It (the diversification) will help dampen the cycles in the auto industry," says Dan Smoke, CFO for JAC Products. "They call this a cyclical industry for a reason."The new expansion will add 30,000 square feet to the company's Saline operations. That's where the bulk of its workforce is located. The company employs 412 people, with about 35 located at its Shelby Township plant and a few engineers in Pontiac.Source: Dan Smoke, CFO for JAC ProductsWriter: Jon Zemke