A growing business innovation center at the Watervliet Arsenal has a new ally: Union College.
Gov. George Pataki announced Monday that Union was awarded a $692,000 grant to establish partnerships that will help start-up companies as they develop defense-related technology in the arsenal's business incubator.
The funding will allow companies, such as Applied NanoWorks, to use Union faculty, students and labs as they develop homeland security-related technology. Applied NanoWorks became the Watervliet Innovation Center's first tenant in February and is researching coating for lighting materials that will make them more resilient.
“This is a really good example of how you can align the mission of a college with industry,” said Union spokesman Bill Schwarz.
Union was one of nine New York colleges and universities that were awarded grants through the New York State Office of Science, Technology and Academic Research. More than $5.22 million in NYSTAR funds was awarded – $1.9 million of which will go to Capital Region schools.
The Center for Economic Growth in December completed a feasibility study examining whether the arsenal could support a homeland security technology incubator. The U.S. Army provided $450,000 for the study, accepted the CEG's proposal for the Watervliet Innovation Center and allocated 9,000 square feet for it. The incubator may expand to 25,000 square feet over five years.
The announcement about the NYSTAR funding came two months after the Army said it will supply $560,683 for the construction of modular offices and other work for the arsenal incubator directed by the CEG.
“We're really in a nutshell because we're offering resources that many companies might not have access to,” said Schwarz.
U-Start, a technology focused business incubator affiliated with Union, will use MBA and undergraduate business students to help identify defense-related technologies that could be developed at the arsenal. U-Start will also develop commercial business strategies for the companies.