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26 Doing Business in Connecticut | 2016 SPONSORED REPORT The University of Connecticut's Technology Incubation Program (TIP) is a valuable resource for innovators and entrepreneurs looking to move their discoveries into the commercial marketplace. As part of Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's landmark Bioscience Connecticut initiative, UConn received $19 million in state funding to allow for the expansion of its TIP incubator at UConn Health in Farmington, CT. Construction of 32 additional wet labs and 40 offices at the site was completed in January 2016 for use by top technology startups from within and outside of Connecticut. TIP's Farmington incubator offers state-of-the-art equipment and access to expensive, specialized scientific instrumentation that means the difference between a startup being virtual or truly "open for business." TIP companies are working on vaccines to fight Hepatitis B, therapeutics targeting variations in the HDL cholesterol gene, and an industrial oven system, among other initiatives. "Connecticut has been the home of countless technological advances and innovations throughout history," says UConn Vice President for Research, Jeff Seemann. "With its proximity to industry leaders in the field of bioscience like The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine and the cutting- edge researchers at UConn Health, the expanded TIP facility in Farmington is a key resource in Connecticut's entrepreneurial ecosystem." Since it was established in 2003, TIP has accelerated the growth and success of over 60 technology-based startups. TIP companies have had a significant impact on Connecticut's economy, raising $45 million in grants and another $64.5 million in debt and equity, while generating over $43 million in revenues by the end of 2014. With the addition of over 20,000 square feet of incubator space, the number of startups that successfully graduate from TIP is expected to grow substantially. By the end of 2015, UConn's Technology Incubation Program, with locations at UConn campuses in Storrs, Farmington, and Avery Point in Groton, was home to 26 startup companies. TIP offers incubator companies, founded by both UConn faculty and external entrepreneurs, personalized mentoring, access to UConn's world-class resources, and opportunities to collaborate with scientific experts. Program participants can also attend customized business education events where they are introduced to potential investors and industry leaders. Along with its investment in world-class research buildings and incubator facilities, UConn continues to grow its $250 million annual research enterprise to maintain a robust innovation pipeline. Part of the Office of the Vice President for Research, UConn's Technology Commercialization Services (TCS) collaborates with its network of industry experts to assess and protect university inventions and support technology commercialization and venture development. UConn also strongly supports and encourages entrepreneurial faculty and students as it grows one of its newest entrepreneurship programs, Accelerate UConn, which launched in May 2015. A National Science Foundation Innovation Corps (I-Corps) site, Accelerate UConn helps teams of entrepreneurial faculty and students validate their ideas, com- mercialize their technologies, and reach markets faster. The program continues to build momentum, and has already helped nearly 20 promising teams in its first year. For more information, please go to www.research.uconn.edu/technology- commercialization. UConn Research Growing Connecticut Startups Mark Driscoll, co-founder of Shoreline Biome, at work in a lab at the UConn technology incubator in Farmington on March 31, 2016. (Peter Morenus/UConn Photo)