28 Doing Business in Connecticut | 2017
INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT
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Education
Research &
Technology
P
erhaps one of the University of Connect-
icut's biggest challenges when it comes
to its support of innovative start-ups is
where the state's flagship public university is
located.
Storrs may be nestled in the state's
so-called Quiet Corner thanks to its rural
character, but its growing into an incubator
for new businesses. ere are approximately
3,250 square feet of incubator space at the
school's Advanced Technology Lab, as well
as additional office space at the college's
Depot Campus.
One example of a start-up coming out of
UConn is Mobile Sense Technologies, which
is directly benefiting from the university's
ability to supply high-level talent.
Skilled employees
"One of the most important things
when we were founded as a company was
we were able to take advantage of the fact
that so many educated people are coming
out of UConn," said Justin Chickles, Mobile
Sense's CEO.
"ere really is a whole collection of
potential employees coming out of the
university, and as an early-stage company
we need to tap into that engineering talent.
Of course, I wish the talent pool was a little
larger, but with Yale and UConn, it's a pretty
good situation."
Mobile Sense has offices in both New
Haven and in Farmington as part of UConn's
Technology Incubation Program (TIP).
e Farmington office opened late last year.
TIP has been expanding of late, thanks to a
$19-million investment from the state in 2016
to build out 32 wet labs and 40 offices for use
Justin Chickles, CEO of Mobile Sense Technologies, a start-up that has grown out of research at the University of Connecticut. PHOTO/CHRISTINA DAVIS
Ready for Market
Mobile Sense Technologies prepares to bring
UConn-developed innovation to market
By Matthew L. Brown
