The $250,000 U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) EPSCoR: A Statewide Incubator Network (1999) is enabling Clemson University and the University of South Carolina to improve and expand business development and incubation activities for high technology ventures within South Carolina. The federal award is matched with state and local funds, increasing the value of the two-year grant to over $700,000.

The South Carolina Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Technology (EPSCoT) project established a statewide research university-based incubator network, that links physical facilities across the state through economic development entities, venture capitalists, entrepreneurs and each other through a Virtual Entrepreneurial Development Center. The consortium of partners includes the South Carolina Technology Alliance, the Clemson University Center for Applied Technology, the University of South Carolina Technology Incubator, the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education and the South Carolina EPSCoR Program.

Recent Achievements:

The Spiro Center at Clemson University determined that its ability to commercialize technology developed by university inventors would be enhanced considerably if the Center could develop a business perspective early in the patenting process. As a consequence, the Center began preparing a market and technology assessment for disclosed technologies to serve as the foundation for a commercialization plan.

The University of South Carolina Research Foundation and the Student Government have developed a Student Incubator Center to provide start-up support for students with competitive business plans. Selected students are provided with office space, access to computers, faculty expertise, research and other incubator resources.

At Clemson University, the Spiro Center has benchmarked mentoring programs at other universities and designed its own mentoring program. A select group of senior executives have been recruited to assist in mentoring activities and graduate students have been trained to provide market assessment and business planning services to current and potential incubator tenants.