Creating an Entrepreneurial Culture in a Rural Setting

0438528此奖项授予密歇根理工大学，以支持下文所述的活动36个月。该提案是为响应创新伙伴关系计划(NSF-04556)而提交的。合作伙伴包括密歇根科技大学(牵头机构)、密歇根科技企业公司、知识共享系统公司、密歇根州霍顿市和汉考克市、芬兰迪亚大学和密歇根州经济发展公司。主要目标是创建一种农村创业文化，获取创新的经济和社会效益。一项三管齐下的倡议将建立在现有基础设施的基础上，并建立在州和地方政府以及密歇根理工大学目前促进经济发展的努力的基础上。首先，这个项目将提供一个教育组成部分，使密歇根理工大学备受推崇的工程企业计划适应一个新的创业企业。该项目将包括科学、工程和商业本科生作为团队与现实世界的企业家合作，为拟议或新兴的潜在高增长创业行业进行技术和市场评估，并将其与商业计划开发相结合。其次，该项目将通过与MTU教职员工和学生社区建立联系的网络和指导计划，加强当地企业家社区之间的相互联系和支持。第三，该项目将通过增加和改善获得大学专业知识、设施和设备的机会来支持技术商业化活动。潜在的经济影响该项目的智力价值将来自于创造一种蓬勃发展和充满活力的创业文化，在密歇根州霍顿县密歇根州西部上半岛的当地和地区经济中创造和增加新的财富。该活动的更广泛影响集中在为农村地区提供基础设施，以参与以技术为基础的创新，特别是在经济中代表性和服务不足的地区。该项目将在美国各地类似的农村环境中复制。

0438528ReedThis award is to the Michigan Technological University to support the activity described below for 36 months. The proposal was submitted in response to the Partnerships for Innovation Program Solicitation (NSF-04556).PartnersThe partners include Michigan Technological University (Lead Institution), Michigan Tech Enterprise Corporation; Knowledge Sharing Systems, Inc. the Cities of Houghton and Hancock, Michigan, Finlandia University, and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.The primary objective is to create a rural entrepreneurial culture that captures the economic and social benefits of innovation. A three-pronged initiative will build on the existing infrastructure and on current endeavors to foster economic development by state and local governments and by Michigan Technological University. First, this project will offer an education component that adapts Michigan Technological Universitys highly regarded engineering Enterprise program to a new entrepreneurial Enterprise. This program will involve science, engineering, and business undergraduate students working as teams with real-world entrepreneurs to conduct and integrate technology and market assessments with business plan development for proposed or emerging potentially high-growth entrepreneurial industries. Second, this project will strengthen the interconnectedness and support among the local entrepreneurial community through networking and mentorship programs that develop linkages with the MTU community of faculty, staff, and students. Third, this project will support technology commercialization activities by increasing and improving access to university expertise, facilities, and equipment. Potential Economic ImpactThe intellectual merit of the project will result from creation of a thriving and vibrant entrepreneurial culture that creates and increases new wealth within the local and regional economies of Michigan's western Upper Peninsula, in Houghton County, Michigan.The broader impacts of the activity concentrate on providing the infrastructure for rural regions to participate in technology-based innovation, especially in regions that are underrepresented and underserved in the economy. This project will be replicable in similar rural settings across the United States.