The Independent Voice: Growing Connecticut’s Innovation Ecosystem

March 24, 2016

View this email in your browser

Growing Connecticut’s Innovation Ecosystem

On Tuesday, the Finance, Revenue & Bonding Committee held a public hearing on SB 1, An Act Concerning Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Connecticut’s Economic Future which aims to create a robust, supportive ecosystem for innovators and entrepreneurs in Connecticut. The bill strives to do so, in part, by supporting innovation and entrepreneurship among students and faculty at our colleges and universities and by promoting greater collaboration of anchor institutions, including higher education, within our regions. In particular, the bill seeks to:

Create innovation districts to encourage collaboration among institutions of higher education, medical institutions and hospitals, existing companies, start-up businesses, researchers and investors;
Develop a plan to facilitate stronger relationships between Connecticut businesses and institutions of higher education in order to support entrepreneurial research and entrepreneurial talent development;
Establish an investment fund that supports student-owned, start-up businesses; and
Establish an intercollegiate, state-wide technology transfer office to support the commercialization of ideas from students and faculty at institutions of higher education around the state.

These provisions, if adopted, will help to leverage the great work that is already occurring across CCIC’s Member Institutions to promote innovation and entrepreneurship. As the testimony submitted by our member institutions in support of SB 1 illustrates, many of CCIC’s member institutions are hosts to incubators or entrepreneurial centers and nearly all offer courses and programming to promote and support entrepreneurship.

While the independent colleges are doing a lot to support economic growth in this state, we would welcome the opportunity for more collaboration and stronger partnerships to be formed within our regions and across the state. We applaud Sen. Fonfara, chairman of the Finance Committee, and Sen. Looney for their efforts on this bill that will help to grow and sustain Connecticut’s innovation economy.

Matter of Fact

The economic activity of CCIC Member Institutions
supported the employment of over 157,000 in Connecticut in 2012.

Source: Connecticut Independent College and University Institute for
Research & Public Service 2015 Economic Impact Report

Campus Updates

University of Saint Joseph and Hartford Promise Partner for Student Success

Trinity student invents used textbook app

Quinnipiac secures $191,068 grant to continue science training for Connecticut teachers

Balancing Business and Environmental Wellness at Mitchell College

Dental Hygiene Program at Goodwin College Gives Kids A Smile

Higher Education Headlines

Power Struggle on Online Oversight

Graduation Gap Widens

American Higher Education Becomes More Attractive to International Students and Global Talent

Please mark your calendar and plan
to join us for a day of workshops and networking.
June 15, 2016
Quinnipiac University ~ North Haven Campus
Registration materials will be emailed 6 weeks in advance.

Murtha Cullina LLP has a long history of representing independent schools, colleges, universities and for profit educational institutions in the areas of labor and employment, employee benefits, contract negotiations, commercial and tax-exempt financing, real estate transactions, environmental compliance and remediation, construction, litigation and government affairs.

CCIC invites you to connect with Murtha Cullina at www.murthalaw.com.