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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCORRESPONDENCE - GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE - COLORADOAN ARTICLETE TO READERS ets were closed Monday in vance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. lay, January 16, 2007 ess: 224-7735 lq � • PAGE Business B6 ♦ Fort Collins Coloradoan E-mail: BusinessNews@coloradoan.com Kregel to lead, bioscience push By CHRISTINE WMANUS ChristineMcManus@coloradoan.com After resigning from the Fort Collins Technology Incubator in October, Kathy Kregel is getting ready to lead the bioscience movement into the new year. Fort Collins officials this week are expected to sign a con- tract to hire Kregel to lead the bioscience cluster of the city's economic development push. Kregel will work part time as an independent contractor for a year to start. Taking a census of who's here in biosciences will be one of Kregel's first tasks as a professional contractor for the city. Part of her job will be to create educational networking opportunities for bioscience in Northern Colorado. During her eight years as di - City officials expected to sign contract this week rector of the Fort Collins Technology In- cubator, Kregel worked the past few years on the Larimer County bio- science initia- tive. 10�(iFl "She's been instrumental in getting the bio- science cluster set up," said Mike Freeman, economic advis- er to the city of Fort Collins. "We didn't want to lose that in- stitutional knowledge, Bioscience researchers who are involved in vaccines, med- ical devices, pharmaceuticals, life sciences, biology and other biotechnologies already are op- erating in Northern Colorado more t;rarr many people realize, Kregel said. Kregel already has connec- tions at the state level and with local companies such as Invira- gen, Optibrand Retinal Scan- ning, Heska and PR Pharmaceu- ticals. Fort Collins is putting up $30,000 as an investment to se- cure primary jobs, Freeman said The city leveraged its funding with an additional $20,000 from the Colorado Bioscience Associ- ation. The Fort Collins Technology Incubator still is under opera- tion by interim director Doug Johnson and office manager Kent Gneiting. The incubator's board of directors is deep into the interviewing process and ex- pects to announce the new di- rector in March, Johnson said. The board is taking the op- portunity to re-evaluate the tech Incubator's role and operations, he said. < "A major part of the equation will be to work even more close- ly, with Colorado State Universi- ty," Johnson said. "There's so much good technology coming out of CSU." Freeman wants to grow the tech incubator to produce even more companies, networking and jobs, while economizing on resources. Out of 20 startups the incubator has helped two fold- ed; the rest have broken out on their own or have been bought. Bioscience is one of five areas city leaders have identified as potential new job bases. The four others are clean energy, in- formation technology hardware, software and unique aspects of Fort Collins. Economic developers across the nation are trying to link sci- entists to industry as a way to jumpstart innovative businesses in the wake of layoffs in the high- tech sectors the past six years. "We'll be the local lightning rod for bioscience in the region," Kregel said. "We want to be at the table and to help wherever we can." NOTE TO READERS usin Markets were closed Monday in PAGE observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Bess B6 Tuesday, January 16, 2007 ♦ Fort Collins Coloradoan Business: 224-7735 E-mail: BusinessNews@coloradoan.com Kregel to lead, bioscience push By CHRISTINE WMANUS ChristineMcManus@coloradoan.com After resigning from the Fort Collins Technology Incubator in October, Kathy Kregel is getting ready to lead the bioscience movement into the new year. Fort Collins officials this week are expected to sign a con- tract to hire Kregel to lead the bioscience cluster of the city's economic development push. Kregel will work part time as an independent contractor for a year to start. Taking a census of who's here in biosciences will be one of Kregel's first tasks as a professional contractor for the city. Part of her job will be to create educational networking opportunities for bioscience in Northern Colorado. During her eight years as di - City officials expected to sign contract this week rector of the Fort Collins Technology In- cubator, Kregel worked the past few years on the Larirner County We - science initia- tive. 10�(iEL "She's been instrumental in getting the bio- science cluster set up," said Mike Freeman, economic advis- er to the city of Fort Collins. "We didn't want to lose that in- stitutional knowledge." Bioscience researchers who are involved in vaccines, med- ical devices, pharmaceuticals, life sciences, biology and other biotechnologies already are op- erating in Northern Colorado more Cian many people realize, Kregel said. Kregel already has connec- tions at the state level and with local companies such as Invira- gen, Optibrand Retinal Scan- ning, Heska and PR Pharmaceu- ticals. Fort Collins is putting up $30,000 as an investment to se- cure primary jobs, Freeman said, The city leveraged its funding with an additional $20,000 from the Colorado Bioscience Associ- ation. The Fort Collins Technology Incubator still is under opera- tion by interim director Doug Johnson and office manager Kent Gneiting. The incubator's board of directors is deep into the interviewing process and ex- pects to announce the new di- rector in March, Johnson said The board is taking the op portunity to re-evaluate the tech incubator's role and operations, he said. "A major part of the equation will be to work even more close- ly, with Colorado State Universi- ty," Johnson said. "There's so much good technology coming out of CSU." Freeman wants to grow the tech incubator to produce even more companies, networking and jobs, while economizing on resources. Out of 20 startups the incubator has helped two fold- ed the rest have broken out on their own or have been bought Bioscience is one of five areas city leaders have identified as potential new job bases. The four others are clean eneerrggyy, in formation technology hazdware, software and unique aspects of Fort Collins. Economic developers across the nation are trying to link sd- entists to industry as a way to jumpstart innovative businesses in the wake of layoffs in the high- tech sectors the past six years. "We'll be the local lightning rod for bioscience in the region," Kregel said "We want to be at the table and to help wherever we can."