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The Student Innovation Center on the University of Maine campus held its open house Thursday. In attendance were UMaine President Robert Kennedy, employees of the facility, students, the Maine Patent Program, the Maine Technology Institute, and the primary supporter of small businesses in the country, the U.S. Small Business Administration, as well as other similar organizations.
In President Kennedy’s speech, he put a strong emphasis on the Student Innovation Center’s goals, stressing the service to students and referring to the center as “an incubator for ideas.” He outlined the unique design of the building, which facilitates collaboration and communication among people. Kennedy expressed appreciation to everyone involved in the project, which took shape four years ago.
Prior to the Student Innovation Center, the Target Technology Incubator on Godfrey Drive in Orono was a similar facility.
“For the past five years, the Target Incubator has provided assistance to UMaine students and faculty who are starting new projects and businesses,” Renee Kelley, the director of Economic Development Iniatives and a key member of the Student Innovation Center said.
“Target provides one-on-one business assistance and education and connects them to the right resources at the right time, partnering with the many resources and experts on campus and off,” Kelley said.
While the Target Technology Incubator has always been and will continue to be open to anyone interested on-campus or off, the new center will provide a more easily accessible service and location for students and faculty at the university.
“Students are encouraged to contact the center staff to sit down and talk about their ideas, whether they are ideas for a new business, a new project, activity or service,” Kelly said. “The staff will assist them by providing advice in terms of what to do next, and also connect them to the right resources on campus as well as across the state to help them get to the next step and achieve their goals.”
Jason Bolton, co-creator of the successful YoBon Blueberry Bites and graduate student in the food science and nutrition department, praised the services of the Innovation Center and the Target Incubator as instrumental to his team’s success with their product.
“Between the Target Center, Deb Neuman and Jake Ward, we couldn’t have done this without them,” Bolton said. Deb Neuman, director of the Target Technology Incubator, and Jake Ward, executive director of the Office of Research and Economic Development, are both helping Bolton’s YoBon team create their own business and market their product, which they originally created for a product development class.
The YoBon Blueberry Bites won a national competition in June, beating North Carolina State, Utah State, Rutgers, Ohio State and California Polytechnic. The team is now doing a market analysis of the area to create a business plan. The product will tentatively be made available to the public at the craft fair on Oct. 21 and 22 in the Field House, provided everything stays on track.
There are similar successes to the YoBon Blueberry Bites, including UMaine music professor Stuart Marrs’ “Eight Pieces for Four Timpani” DVD, which was also a product of the Target Technology Incubator which involved new media and business students in the conception.
The Target Incubator and Student Innovation Center will hold Lunch and Learn Seminars this fall; talks that will center on business, entrepreneurship and innovation. The first of these talks are to be held at the new facility and will take place on Thursday, Oct. 26 from noon to 2 p.m., entitled “How the University of Maine Can Help You Start or Expand a Small Business!”
A complete schedule of the seminars can be found at www.targetincubator.umaine.edu.
“We are really committed to helping UMaine students create their own futures,” Kelly said.
All evidence supports Kelly’s mission statement, as the Student Innovation Center offers cubicle space for students whose businesses get off the ground, informative seminars, and an extremely helpful, generous, friendly staff to aid any students interested in innovation and entrepreneurship.
Bangor Daily News