![]() The innovative program has already launched an animation and motion graphics company, The New Fuel. The emphasis is appropriate as Kent State is a participant in the nationally acclaimed Blackstone Launchpad student entrepreneurship program, which it has extended to its Tuscarawas and Stark campuses. The Tolloty Incubator will also focus on student-run businesses and student internship opportunities. "We're trying to create a fertile environment for IT companies, computer animation, or any research/development companies to have a physical location in the incubator." ![]() "Everyone was on board for creating a rural, high-tech atmosphere," says CIC Executive Director Gary Little. Moreover, it will serve at the anchor for the 170-acre Tuscarawas Regional Technology Park. The incubator is adjacent to Kent State University's Tuscarawas branch, and managed by the county's Community Improvement Corporation. The 25,000-square foot Eugene Tolloty Incubator is set for completion next summer. The NBIA study found many successful rural incubators are organized as networks – either of facilities or programs – and all utilized regional support.Ī strong regional network in Tuscarawas County is helping to realize a $5.4 million facility for high-tech research, development and intellectual property. So how do these smaller facilities keep pace in the face of unique geographical and budgetary challenges? Athens and Tuscarawas counties host multiple incubators. Many serve smaller communities such as Piketon, Hamilton and Zanesville. While the press often focuses on incubators serving the larger urban areas, NBIA estimates there are approximately 40 incubators in Ohio, 23 of which are NBIA members. These and other findings are helping many of Ohio's smaller incubators thrive. Rural incubators, however, graduated an average of two resident/clients per year compared to three for urban areas. The study found median urban incubator revenue was 75% greater than that of its rural counterparts. 'Is this getting results?' That's fundable." "If you are a rural incubator, it is even more important to show (performance) results," says Jennifer Simon, executive director of the OUIC. The study included a survey of more than 100 rural and urban incubators across the country, including Ohio University's Innovation Center (OUIC) as one of nine case studies. There is no magic bullet, but rather a synergy of practices and policies the NBIA has cataloged in its national study, Best Practices in Rural Business Incubation: Successful Programs in Small Communities, issued earlier this year. Yet according to the Athens-based National Business Incubation Association (NBIA), rural incubators can indeed build strong companies and graduate clients. What's not to love about operating a business incubator in one of Ohio's smaller communities? After all, they juggle tight budgets, dispersed populations and limited local markets.
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