Tag: Science and Technology

virtual learning at Zip Code WIlmington

Zip Code Wilmington Move to Virtual Learning Brings New Opportunities

Written on . Posted in Success Stories.

Zip Code Wilmington Move to Virtual Learning Opened Doors for New Opportunities

virtual learning at Zip Code WIlmington

November 16, 2021 – 

Success for Zip Code Wilmington can be defined in many ways, but Executive Director Desa Burton lights up when she talks about a recent student who loaded everything he owned into a car and drove to Wilmington from Dallas to join the program.

“He had every intention of going back to Texas, but he got a job here and is very happy. We have students who come to us from across the United States and its territories, such as Atlanta, Brooklyn, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, who are applying for or now have jobs here in Wilmington,” Burton says, adding that about 75% of her students stay in Delaware after graduation. “Zip Code attracts high-level talent to this area. Wherever these out-of-state students are, opportunities are not working for them so they’re willing to move here. Now we’re working on introducing more businesses outside our region to see that Delaware checks all the boxes for their employees in terms of quality of life, housing affordability, infrastructure, and resources available for young families.”

Considered one of the nation’s top three nonprofits of its type, Zip Code Wilmington is a 12-week coding bootcamp that gives students the technical, interpersonal, and leadership skills needed to secure a competitive developer job and increase their earning potential. Burton beams when asked about the non-technical part of the curriculum.

“We have an amazing professional development program. Sometimes that’s all I hear about in the final interviews,” says Burton. “Our hiring manager has more than 10 years of improv experience and he uses that to help the students with active listening, being able to answer questions, and move and flow in different interview settings. They get a resume when they leave. We help them create or fix up their LinkedIn profiles. We work with them on networking and teaching them how to do that. It’s really neat to see how having that secret sauce really makes such a big difference in the outcome of the student.”

Zip Code Wilmington’s training program offers two course tracks – full-stack Java Development with Spring Boot, Angular, and MySQL as well as Data Engineering and Analytics based on Python, R, and SQL.

When Burton arrived at Zip Code Wilmington in September 2019 – armed with an MBA and law degree she earned after leaving the military — she says she was “basically being put in charge of a very successful startup and being told not to break it.” Besides having to learn human resources, finance, accounting, she was suddenly being asked to “think not like a lawyer, but like a businessperson, especially when COVID hit.”

“We had to be innovative. We had to be scrappy. We had to get out there and make changes in the midst of a crisis,” she said.

Asked about her student demographics, Burton says the answer is different today than it was when she became executive director.

“I would have just told you then average age 35, career changers, adult learners,” she says. “After putting in all these innovative new programs, I can tell you we teach people 16 years old to 60. We were in seven high schools last year, teaching front-end software development.” Teaching in Delaware’s high schools is new. Burton explains, “Zip Code Wilmington is well known for training up folks who may or may not have gone to college, have some work experience or who may have already been in their career 5, 10, 15 years, and are either looking to change because the end is coming, or they don’t want to go back to school to get another degree if they have a degree. Some tried the degree route but didn’t like it or didn’t have the money for it. For some reason, they’re at a place where they need to get into tech and this is the way that they want to do it, through a 12-week course. As we view it, talent is distributed evenly, but opportunity is not. We provide opportunities!”

It costs Zip Code Wilmington $15,000 to train someone, although students will not pay more than $12,000. It costs a student $6,000 upfront to enter the program. If they get a job with a corporate partner, that company will pay the remaining $9,000. If they get a job with a non-corporate partner, they’re responsible for the remaining $6,000.

There are “scholarships” for students who served in the military or fall into a “needs-based category (i.e., 200% below the poverty line). Burton says those are the only ways that students don’t pay that initial tuition.

Placement fell in 2020 during the pandemic, when companies froze a lot of positions, to 61%, from previous years when Zip Code Wilmington placed students at a rate approaching 90% within six months. But Burton says things are picking up, with JPMorgan Chase announcing in January that they hired more than 30 Zip Coders in 2020. For now, the size of the cohorts reflects job placement forecasts – from 35 before the pandemic to 25 over the past 18-24 months – but placement is returning to an average of 80% and cohort size should return to normal the economy improves.

Making the Switch to Virtual Learning

Zip Code Wilmington had to be nimble and switch to training remotely in March 2020.

“Our instructors were concerned that the students would not have the same experience, that they would not bond as well, that they would not retain the knowledge as well,” says Burton. “I knew that this was not going to be a two-week deal, so we needed to figure out how to make it work and be remote for an extended period. We launched virtual training on March 13th.”

Zip Code started off with Zoom sessions but supplemented it with collaboration platforms such as Discord and Slack.

“Communication between the students never dropped. They can work freely together in a remote environment, connect with each other at will,” Burton says. “Everyone thought you must be next to each other to code, to look at each other’s screen, and touch each other’s keyboard. But now that we’re remote, everything is virtual. They’re able to meet, deliver training, edit code, and connect online seamlessly.”

“I told every remote student that they could set up a time to come in and meet with an instructor who can work with them in person. On the first day, they asked about it but once they started working online, no one asked again. It just worked out really well.”

Burton says there hasn’t been any difference in picking up the material between different age groups or other demographics.

“I think a virtual environment makes it much easier for people to just judge you based on your merit. I think in a virtual environment you have less of that “ism” happening because if an employer really needs to get a product off the line, they need to get coders in ASAP. The last thing they’re worried about is what are you wearing because guess what? They’re seeing you on a remote screen and they’re really focusing more on your code than anything else.”

Burton says Zip Coders are different from students that are going through the for-profit programs around the country, most of whom don’t disclose their placement rates and other outcomes like her organization does.

“Zip Coders are just different. They’re team players. They are hungry for change. They are committed, dedicated. There is just something about their personality that is so cool. I hear it a lot from candidates for our program. Other coding bootcamps are mostly for-profit. They’ve got to make money. They need to get people through the door and churn them through to get the tuition and then churn through the next one. They’re not really focused on figuring out the quality of the education that they’re given, because they don’t have to worry about that. We stick with our students for the next three to six months to make sure they get a job. We are incentivized to do so because we are transparent in our outcomes and report them on our website. Also, we do not receive the remainder of their tuition until our graduates get their first job.”

“Our mission is to help build the economy of this region. I can’t do that if people are coming in and not getting jobs. I can’t bring in 200 people during COVID when I know there’s no jobs out there, just so that I have money in my bank account. That doesn’t work. And so that’s why we’re different. They can train regardless of what’s happening in the economic environment. I cannot.”

Employers who had job freezes in 2020 are coming back too.

“Pre-COVID, some employers were consistently hiring. They were there for every power interview week, which is that week after the students finish the training. Other employers were periodic and would show up at certain points of the year. I’m seeing more activity now from both those who consistently hired and from those periodic employers. They’re coming in more often and they’re hiring more people.”

Online training is here to stay at Zip Code Wilmington. Burton says, “Because of what we learned during COVID, because of the fact we were able to do remote training and broaden our outreach, and I want to continue to do that. Not to the detriment of the region, but to attract people here.”

Companies often send their employees to Zip Code for either upskilling or reskilling, two fairly interchangeable terms. They may send someone who’s been in customer service for 10 years, knows everything about the company and its culture, but they want to put them into a technical role. Or they were in a testing role of some kind but want to expose them to Java programming. Or they invite Zip Code in to teach a group of people a skill, particularly if they want to improve their diversity (DE&I) numbers.

“In some cases, they want to move the needle in a very short period of time,” says Burton, adding that larger companies often go into universities and hire diverse people who don’t have technical skills and ask Zip Code to teach them how to be coders.

Enrollment over time has been about 31% female and about the same for Black and Latino students. The program was designed to lower the barriers of entry – making the training accessible and affordable to all – which has resulted in remarkable diversity outcomes over its six-year history.

Looking ahead over the next 12 to 15 months, Burton would like to get its placement numbers back up to pre-COVID levels or better; incorporate online learning into the strategy of Zip Code going forward; and get into more high schools to do front-end training and expose students to coding possibilities.

“Right now, about 65% of Delaware public schools have computer-science training; I think the state should be in the 90s, whether that’s with us, with Pathways, or a university,” Burton says.

As far as industries go, Zip Code Wilmington works mainly with the financial sector with companies like Chase, M&T Bank, CSC, Marlette Funding, and Capital One. “I would like to broaden that and get our eggs into some other baskets,” says Burton, adding that InterDigital came through “in a big way” over this past summer by giving Zip Code Wilmington the money to launch that program in those high schools across the state.

“I was talking to a couple of cohort graduates yesterday who met at Zip Code and now have a young daughter. They told me that because of Zip Code, they have money for daycare and can start a college-savings fund. They both have new cars, and they’re comfortable paying their bills without worrying. That to me is success.”

“The number one concern for out-of-state employers is having access to a labor force that can meet their needs. And I think it’d be very important for employers to know that Zip Code can scale. We can train more people if there are more jobs. We train to the jobs that are available or that look they’re coming available. If employers are considering moving their headquarters here or opening a second location in Delaware and they’re worried about whether we have enough coders coming in, that won’t be a problem. We can do custom training. If they need 100 people ready to go when they open the doors, we can help them achieve that goal.”

Burton says she doesn’t see the organization opening, for example a Zip Code Buffalo or St. Louis, but the pandemic experience of offering training remotely makes it easier to support corporate partners with offices in other locations.

“It’s something we hadn’t really considered before. When we trained solely in Wilmington, in person, our reach was somewhat narrow. Now that we’ve grown from all this innovation, we can see that there’s a lot more that we can do with a broader geographical footprint without leaving Wilmington are or losing focus on our commitment to the greater Delaware region.”

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CMS Helps Save the Planet One Membrane Module at a Time

Written on . Posted in Success Stories.

Delaware’s Compact Membrane Systems Uses Clean Tech to Help Save the Planet, One Membrane Module at a Time

October 29, 2021 – 

Delaware chemtech Compact Membrane Systems (CMS) is perfecting a solution that allows farms, landfills and water treatment plants to capture, separate, upgrade and sell their own renewable natural gas products instead of releasing them into the atmosphere.

It’s a meaningful endeavor in a time when nations, industries and individuals worldwide are becoming increasingly aware of — and committed to — the catastrophic impact of global warming and the potential for upgrading biogas to create renewable natural gas as a part of the clean energy transition.

The company’s Optiperm™ product holds the potential to create pipeline-ready gas with a simpler and less expensive process. It targets the separation of methane from carbon dioxide (CO2) with smaller systems than existing membrane solutions. A pilot demonstration of the biogas platform achieved 90% methane purity with a single-stage membrane unit. The membrane modules are now being scaled-up for commercial use.

Related solutions target carbon directly from large sources like utilities and factories. Carbon capture is all about reducing cost in renewable, sustainable and economically viable ways, and chief executive Erica Nemser says CMS is developing real-cost carbon capture through Optiperm™ carbon at $20 a ton.

“Our separation technology gives industries that cannot easily be electrified with solar power a cost-effective pathway to capture carbon without simultaneously bankrupting them, and all of us,” Nemser says. “We are excited to translate our product’s superior technical characteristics into superior economic value for our customers.”

Innovative Research Combined With Industry Know-How

Membranes are thin layers of inert polymer materials fabricated to allow small molecules like water and oxygen to pass through at high rates white retaining larger molecules like oils, additives and solvents. New technology breakthroughs by CMS enable the separation of similarly sized molecules – unleashing a pathway to reduce the energy we use in producing everyday products and reduce the harmful and planet-warming emissions associated with them.

In their Newport, Delaware, labs, CMS combines innovative research with practical industry know-how to deliver modular units with lower energy usage and smaller footprints than existing separation technologies. Their platform works with companies’ standard equipment to capture, separate and upgrade existing biogas streams that would otherwise be flared or released into the atmosphere.

Quite simply, biogas is a combination of methane and CO2 produced from the breakdown of natural materials from human and animal habitation on the globe. Most methane we currently use comes from fossil sources underground. But at the same time, landfills, water treatment plants and farms generate methane that is released into the atmosphere and contribute to the greenhouse effect.

“We should be capturing biogas from the sources we’re generating,” Nemser says.

Methane released into the air is 85 times worse than CO2 in terms of global warming, she explains. Not only does capturing purified methane reduce the amount of CO2 that gets into the atmosphere, it can be put it into the pipeline and used for heating. This displaces the need to tap fossil sources of methane (natural gas) by using a renewable source – hence, renewable natural gas.

Based on everything that climate experts tell us about global warming, we need to keep the temperature increase on Earth no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius to avoid the catastrophic effects of climate change. To address that, it’s important to use more renewables such as solar power and electric vehicles. But, Nemser adds, we must also address ways to decarbonize industry.

“Steel, cement, plastic… we need to find a way not to be contributing CO2 into the world,” she says.

Something We All Need To Do

Nemser believes increased worldwide emphasis on upgrading biogas to create renewable natural gas is a direct result of increased attention on the negative effects on global warming made all the more obvious during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Over the last year, it has been delightful to see the sea change in attitude towards renewable natural gas, carbon capture and discussion around climate technologies,” she says. “The focus from this being the concern only of large corporations and institutional investors has shifted to help us recognize that this is something we all need to do – not just to talk about doing, but to actively walk down the path of setting policy, putting infrastructure in place and moving technologies forward to address the challenges of our planet. Two years ago, that wasn’t the case.”

No Silver Bullet

In the debate around protecting the environment and saving the planet, Nemser cautions that there is no one silver bullet, but many solutions to get us where we need to go.

“Realistically, we can’t simply say we’ll all switch to driving electric cars and all will be fine. It will take more expansive use of solar power, investment in hydrogen and carbon capture sequestration,” she says.

Nemser credits the fabulous chemistry and chemical engineering talent found in Delaware – from world renowned experts to new graduates – for making her company’s work in energy transition possible. She also applauds Delaware’s business and scientific community for being very welcoming and collaborative, citing a pilot system for olefin separation technology recently hosted and supported at a refinery in Delaware, as well as a next-level demonstration-scale system of Optiperm™ getting underway with a neighboring world-renowned petrochemical company.

The company is now also working on a round of funding that will allow the world to hear about their innovative technical platform that focuses on energy transfer. Delaware’s juncture in the mid-Atlantic may be proving most helpful to CMS in creating pipeline-quality methane.

“It’s a really powerful thing for Delaware to be known as place that generates this kind of innovation for the world,” Nemser says.

Local Footprint, Global Impact

CMS’s target customers are major worldwide corporations that produce physical things: utilities that produce power; chemical plants that make the materials that go into cars, bedding and house paint; cement and steel factories; and even the apartment complexes that want to capture the carbon out of their heating systems.

But in the end, Nemser says, her real customer is the planet and all of the people who live on it.

“At CMS, we’re addressing a significant portion of the solution so people can continue to live meaningful, productive lives in a way that is sustainable for future generations,” she says. “We’re committed to keeping the planet as tuned up as we possibly can, and we look forward to using our local footprint to make a global impact.”

To learn more about Compact Membrane Systems and the Optiperm™ product portfolio, visit https://compactmembrane.com.

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medical technology company for women's health

Global Women’s Health Company Hologic Expands in Delaware

Written on . Posted in Press Releases.

Global Women’s Health Company Hologic Expands in Delaware

medical technology company for women's health

October 25, 2021 –

Medical Technology Pioneer Investing Over $20 Million to Expand Operations, Adding Over 100,000 Square Feet and 225 Jobs to Its Glasgow Business Community Location in Newark, Delaware

WILMINGTON, Del. — Hologic Inc., an innovative Fortune 1000 medical technology company primarily focused on improving women’s health globally through early detection and treatment, has chosen Newark, Delaware, to expand its world-class center for its breast and skeletal health business.

Hologic’s three main areas of focus are breast and skeletal health, diagnostics and gynecologic surgery. Headquartered in Marlborough, Massachusetts, the global medical technology company has over 6,000 staff members working in over 40 countries.

Hologic’s expansion in Glasgow Business Community, involving an investment in excess of $20 million, adds over 100,000 square feet to its campus and includes plans for a cutting-edge X-ray hub. The expansion also adds 225 new jobs to the 160 people currently working at the Glasgow site. The new positions include jobs in manufacturing, product development, process and technical support, and operations supervision and management.

“These are good, new jobs that will support Delaware workers and their families,” said Governor John Carney. “I want to thank Hologic for their commitment to our state. The company’s expansion in Glasgow just reaffirms that Delaware remains a great place for companies of all sizes to put down roots, create jobs and grow.”

Hologic is investing about $4 million in new equipment and about $20 million in construction and fit-out costs. Supporting the company’s plans are grants it has been approved by the state Council on Development Finance to receive from the Delaware Strategic Fund: a Jobs Performance Grant of up to almost $1.48 million and a Capital Expenditure Grant of up to $720,000.

“This is another example showing that New Castle County is a great place where life science companies, like Hologic, can grow and expand their workforce,” said New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer. “There’s no doubt we have the talent and the workforce ready to help fill the more than 200 new jobs coming to the market. I’m especially proud to recognize Hologic during Breast Cancer Awareness Month for its groundbreaking work and research on women’s health issues.”

Hologic’s Delaware presence can be traced back to DuPont, which originally developed the property at 600 Technology Drive for its own X-ray film business. Sterling Group later purchased the site from DuPont, eventually selling it to Hologic in 1999. Hologic previously invested in growing its Newark, Delaware, operations, including a $14.8 million, 9,500-square-foot addition in 2012.

As a key member of Delaware’s medical technology community, Hologic conducts extensive charitable outreach that has included donating money and time to a nonprofit that aids military veterans, providing meals to low-income students, completing home remodeling projects for cancer survivors, holding blood donation drives and hosting fundraising campaigns for a breast-cancer support group.

“Hologic has enjoyed a long history as part of the Newark community, as we drive innovations that transform the detection and treatment of breast cancer globally,” said Jennifer Meade, President of Hologic’s Breast and Skeletal Health Solutions Division. “We are excited to expand our presence and our partnership with the county and with the state of Delaware, enabling us to have an even greater impact on the lives of women around the world.”

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About Delaware Prosperity Partnership

Delaware Prosperity Partnership leads Delaware’s economic development efforts to attract, grow and retain businesses; to build a stronger entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem; and to support private employers in identifying, recruiting, and developing talent. The DPP team works with site selectors, executives and developers focused on where to locate or grow a business and helps with reviewing potential sites, cost-of-living analyses and funding opportunities, including available tax credits and incentives. DPP advances a culture of innovation in Delaware, working with innovators and startups to spotlight and celebrate successes and connect them with the resources they need to succeed. DPP and its partnerships throughout Delaware support and advance the missions of companies of all sizes and sectors.

About Hologic Inc.

Hologic is a groundbreaking women’s health company whose medical devices and technologies enable early detection and treatment. For more information on Hologic, visit www.hologic.com. The Company’s Breast and Skeletal Health Solutions Division provides a comprehensive continuum of care that includes: 3D mammography, which Hologic pioneered in 2011; breast biopsy systems; ultrasound devices; innovations for breast conservation surgery; and musculoskeletal imaging.

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Bioscience Life Science in Delaware report 2021

New Report Details Growth and Opportunity for Delaware’s Life Sciences Sector

Written on . Posted in Press Releases.

New Report Details Robust Growth and Immense Opportunity for Delaware’s Life Sciences Sector

Bioscience Life Science in Delaware report 2021

October 1, 2021 –

Study shows bioscience is leading economic driver in Delaware, generating $2B in GDP annually, with 11,000 employed in diverse sector jobs and state poised for significant expansion.
 
A comprehensive new report on Delaware’s life sciences vividly demonstrates the sector’s strength and recent growth, with 11000 jobs in the field, an annual economic impact of $2 billion in GDP, and a 65% increase in the number of new biotechnology R&D companies formed over the last 10 years.

Produced by Delaware Prosperity Partnership (DPP) and the Delaware BioScience Association (Delaware Bio), the study, “Life Sciences in Delaware: Momentum and Opportunity,” is the first comprehensive assessment of the breadth, depth and potential of the Delaware life sciences landscape.
 
The report analyzed five component subsectors capturing the full spectrum of bioscience activity in the state across private sector companies, higher education and nonprofit research institutions: Pharmaceuticals and Therapeutics; Research and Development, Testing and Medical Laboratories; Agricultural and Industrial Biosciences; Medical Devices and Equipment; and Supply and Distribution.
 
Key findings include:
 

  • Bioscience is a powerful economic driver in Delaware: The life sciences sector employs approximately 11,000 people and directly generates $2 billion in GDP (both 2.5% of total state employment and GDP) along with payrolls of at least $230 million.
  • Delaware’s bioscience landscape has transformed in recent years: The number of life sciences operations in Delaware has grown significantly in the past decade — most notably in the biotechnology R&D subindustry with an increase of 65% — and Delaware now ranks 7th nationally for life sciences venture capital funding per capita.
  • Delaware draws on a world-class talent pool in the statewide and regional labor market: Nearly 30% of all biochemists and biophysicists in the U.S. and one in six U.S. pharmaceutical employees works in Delaware’s region. The greater Philadelphia area ranks fourth in life sciences employment nationally, with Delaware employers drawing about one of five employees from across state lines.
  • Growth in federal funding has accelerated R&D activity: Since 2000, Delaware’s R&D funding from the National Institutes of Health has more than doubled, and the state is among the top three recipients per capita of funding from the NIH Institutional Development Award (IDeA) program. The National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL), centered at the University of Delaware, recently opened a $156 million center for R&D and biopharmaceutical workforce training and, in July, received another $153 million in federal grants.
  • Delaware is home to an increasing, wide range of degree and training programs: The number of degrees in the life sciences disciplines awarded by Delaware institutions has grown by 64% since 2010.

Recent developments underscore significant momentum and opportunity for growth areas, including advanced manufacturing: These include the announcement of a several hundred-million-dollar-investment in a new pharmaceutical development and manufacturing facility in Middletown, hundreds of millions dollars more in investment planned for a new science and innovation park at a former DuPont site, a $10 million program supporting the expansion of lab space and one of 2020’s most successful biotech IPOs by a Delaware company.

Cementing Delaware’s position as a preeminent hub for the life sciences will require clear focus and collaboration across government, higher education and industry: The state is ideally situated to accelerate sector growth with sustained, strategic investment in workforce development, infrastructure and lab space, and improved university-industry engagement and access to capital. 

“This report confirms the exciting growth, vitality and great potential of Delaware’s life sciences sector,” said Governor John Carney, co-chair of DPP. “Our state has so many unique strengths and advantages within a thriving region. Ensuring Delaware is a top-tier global hub of life sciences research and innovation is essential to both public health and our economic future, and we will continue to invest in its long-term growth.”
 
“The COVID-19 pandemic has vividly demonstrated the enormous importance of the work biomedical researchers devote their lives to advancing,” said Delaware Bio President Michael Fleming. “With growth across every facet of our sector – from private businesses of every size to new degree and training programs and increased R&D investment and expanding manufacturing capacity – the Delaware bioscience sector has never been stronger, and this report provides a compelling roadmap for the life sciences’ role as a central driver of the state’s success while transforming the lives of the patients it serves.”  

“We are seeing both strong organic sector growth as well as a substantial increase in external interest by life science companies considering Delaware for their home,” said Kurt Foreman, DPP president and CEO. “The findings in this report make clear why the state has increasing momentum and appeal as an ideal location for life sciences companies to invest and grow.”

The complete report is available at choosedelaware.com/bioreport or by clicking here.

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About Delaware Prosperity Partnership

Delaware Prosperity Partnership (choosedelaware.com) leads Delaware’s economic development efforts to attract, grow and retain businesses; to build a stronger entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem; and to support private employers in identifying, recruiting and developing talent. The DPP team works with site selectors, executives and developers focused on where to locate or grow a business and helps with reviewing potential sites, cost-of-living analyses and funding opportunities, including available tax credits and incentives. DPP advances a culture of innovation in Delaware, working with innovators and startups to spotlight and celebrate successes and connect them with the resources they need to succeed. DPP and its partnerships throughout Delaware support and advance the missions of companies of all sizes and sectors.

About the Delaware BioScience Association

Since 2006, the Delaware BioScience Association has been a catalyst for bioscience innovation in Delaware. Delaware Bio serves pharmaceutical and biotechnology firms, medical device manufacturers, agricultural biotech and chemical companies, research and testing companies, hospitals and medical institutions, academic partners and other organizations and related service companies, with the goal of expanding our state’s vibrant science economy.

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delaware space grant program Dr. Muldrew

Delaware Space Grant Consortium Launches Students into Innovation

Written on . Posted in Success Stories.

Delaware Space Grant Consortium Launches Students into Innovation

delaware space grant program Dr. Muldrew

September 29, 2021 – 

NASA is looking for more than a few good scientists, and Delaware is producing an abundance of them through NASA’s Space Grant program.

According to Dr. Milton Muldrow, chair of Science, Biology, and Environmental Science & Policy at Wilmington University and an associate director of the Delaware Space Grant Consortium, NASA’s National Space Grant College and Fellowship Project provides education and research resources for college-level students who have a potential future with the federal aeronautics and space agency.

NASA created the Space Grant program in 1989. Its national network includes more than 850 affiliates from universities, colleges, industry, museums, science centers, and state and local agencies. These affiliates belong to one of 52 consortia in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

Creating a Tech-Savvy Workforce for the Future

Through the Consortium, Delaware aims to contribute to the technologically literate workforce that NASA and other STEM entities will need in the years ahead.

“The project’s mission is to produce the workforce of the future for NASA,” Muldrow said. “They do this through research engagement for college students, internships and fellowship programs.”

The objectives of Space Grant are to encourage cooperative programs among universities, the aerospace industry, and federal, state and local governments, as well as interdisciplinary education, research, and public service programs related to aerospace. Space Grant also aims to promote a strong science, technology, engineering, and mathematics pipeline through higher education experiences. Muldrow’s introduction to the project came six years ago, when he became chair of Wilmington University’s science programs.

“After we developed science programs at Wilmington University, we immediately tried to align with Space Grant,” he said. “We wanted to offer more opportunities to our students.”

Since then, he added, several students have gotten involved and succeeded.

“My first student to receive a grant through the program created hundreds of maps of coral communities off the Florida Keys based off publicly available data,” Muldrow said. “She did amazing work.”

Interested students work with Muldrow, who submits a proposal to Space Grant based on his research goals. Students who participate in the program come away with tangible deliverables to offer potential employers in their chosen field, along with a notable affiliation.

“The name of the game, coming out of college, is no longer about just a degree,” Muldrow said. “Employers really want to see what you have done. And seeing that a potential employee has participated in a NASA project is a big deal for employers.”

The Space Grant program gives Delaware colleges and universities another means of producing valuable contributors to today’s innovation society.

“When our students get jobs at big labs and institutions, it shows the world the kind of talent we have in Delaware,” Muldrow said. “I’m just blown away every semester, not just by how intelligent the students are, but also how motivated they are.”

When students are accepted into the Space Grant program, they don’t just work on their projects. They also learn how to conduct themselves as scientists and comprehend the importance of being competitive. 

“The students learn skills such as working hard and going above and beyond because, at the end of the day, they’re competing with people globally for jobs,” Muldrow said. “Having that NASA banner next to your name is impressive, and our students go on to do great things.”

The Space Grant program also spotlights the work Delaware has contributed to the world of science and technology. Besides Wilmington University, the Delaware Space Grant Consortium includes the University of Delaware, Delaware Technical Community College, and Delaware State University. In Pennsylvania, Swarthmore College and Villanova University are participants. 

“It highlights the work that’s already being done in Delaware – work that people may not know,” Muldrow said. “Our director, Dr. William Matthaeus, is world-renowned. He helps develop satellites, including the Parker Solar Probe that launched to the sun.”

Through Space Grant, a group of Wilmington University students recently saw their work launched into space.

“The students helped to build a payload that takes various measurements while in space,” Muldrow explained. “This one went off into space from Wallops Island, Virginia, this spring. That is a national project, and to be represented on the national stage is putting Delaware innovation on the map.”

The student who produced maps of the ocean floor while still enrolled at Wilmington University was offered jobs in her field before receiving her diploma.

“She has moved up quickly,” Muldrow said. “She now works for DNREC – the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control – doing exactly what she did for us: she is a GIS specialist creating maps.”

Another recent graduate entered the Space Grant program with the primary goal of working in a lab. She procured a job at Merck, a pharmaceutical company, using Space Grant as her primary experience when she graduated. And she’s already been promoted.

An additional Wilmington University alum went on to the environmental engineering program at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, which partners with NASA. 

“We have students participating in projects such as GIS mapping, policy research, biological research, and genetic engineering,” Muldrow said. “Our students have gone on to do some amazing things thanks to NASA’s Space Grant Project.”

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The Innovation Space expands in Delaware

The Innovation Space™ Expands Lab and Office Space for Startups

Written on . Posted in In the News.

The Innovation Space™ Expands Lab and Office Space Available to Startups

The Innovation Space expands in Delaware

September 17, 2021 – 

50,000 Sq.ft.  Of Laboratory and Office Space Available April 2022

WILMINGTON, Del. – The Innovation Space™, an ecosystem with funding, resources, and programs tailored to accelerate and scale science-based startups, announced today that 50,000 ft2 of Class A laboratory and office space will be available in April 2022. This space, located in The Innovation Space’s Wilmington, Delaware headquarter building is comprised of 33 laboratories, 76 offices, and a network of shared conference rooms, collaboration spaces and amenities. Residential clients also gain access to the Experimental Station, a secure, 24/7 supported, innovation campus with a cafeteria, fitness center, exercise classes, and critical infrastructure support resources.

The lab and office footprint aims to enable biotechnology, chemistry, and material science startups as they grow and attain key milestones for expanded facilities. The space available in April 2022 is currently occupied by a large biotechnology client and supports both the advancement of their research and development of their business. Upon this client’s graduation from The Innovation Space in early 2022, the space will be made available to the next generation of startups and scaling companies.

“We are very pleased to be able to intensify our commitment to the growth of science-based startup companies and drive economic growth,” said Bill Provine, CEO of The Innovation Space. “This space would be a perfect fit for biotech or chemistry-based companies and can support multiple smaller growth companies or be a great home for a rapidly scaling larger company.”

“The Innovation Space has been a critical partner for Prelude Therapeutics in support of our rapid growth,” said Kris Vaddi, CEO of Prelude Therapeutics. “We continue to gain value from their entrepreneur-first business focus and flexible engagement strategies which have provided us with the framework to expand our company with them from 5 employees in 2017 to over 100 employees today,” said Vaddi.

“Whether you are just starting out your journey as a science entrepreneur or are have recently raised a multi-million-dollar round of investment, you will find supportive programs and capabilities across The Innovation Space that will enable you to move your startup forward more aggressively,” said Provine. “We are an entrepreneur-first organization and have both physical assets such as leveraged scientific equipment and world-class laboratory capabilities in addition to our supportive suite of business building programs. These programs include our First Fund™ where we provide investment, our Science INC™ cohort-based accelerator where we work intensely over a four month program with early startups on their business models and connect them with partners and investors, and our Spark Factory™ mentoring program where we provide access to and advice from seasoned functional experts and business leaders.”

About The Innovation Space™:

The Innovation Space is a multi-dimensional, non-profit entrepreneurial support organization and an ecosystem where entrepreneurs, scientists, business leaders, community members, investors, and service providers in the advanced materials, industrial and agriculture biotechnology, chemical ingredients, renewable energy, nutrition, therapeutics, diagnostics, and healthcare fields can build business concepts together and accelerate the path to commercialization of each startup. The Innovation Space was formed from a public-private partnership between the State of Delaware, DuPont, and the University of Delaware. The Innovation Space™ is also known as Delaware Innovation Space™ and the Home for Science Entrepreneurs™.

Learn more: innovationspace.org; https://bit.ly/TheInnovationSpace; and www.firstfund.org.

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Innovation and Growth Ahead in Delaware’s Chemical Industry

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Option: 1

Innovation and Growth Ahead in Delaware’s Chemical Industry

chemical industry innovation in Delaware

24 January 2020 – 

Delaware continues to provide a productive environment for major companies throughout the world in agriculture, financial services, manufacturing, healthcare, and the chemical industries. Known as the chemical capital of the world, Delaware has a commanding presence in the $4 trillion global chemical industry. It is the research and administrative center for some of the largest chemical companies in the world and provides one of the richest research environments for chemical innovation. 

Through innovation, a very talented workforce, and sustainable chemistry practices, the future of the rapidly evolving chemical industry in the First State is bright.

Innovation

Delaware is home to some of the world’s most transformative innovations. A global leader in science, tech, manufacturing, and agriculture, the First State supports innovative enterprises with incentives, financing options, research and development (R&D), and business development support. Many companies today are embracing joint development programs, strategic partnerships, and even increasing merger and acquisition (M&A) activity to support a more innovative culture.

The chemical industry is no exception to this trend. The leaders and trailblazers in this industry are innovating through collaboration with customers, other companies, and academic institutions.

Talented Workforce

Delaware is known for its diverse, educated, and talented workforce. Delaware has seen an expansion in its workforce by 10% during the past decade, nearly twice the U.S. average and is within easy access to more than 100 research-based universities, colleges and medical schools.

Various programs are developed to ensure the talent that walks out of these educational institutions are appropriately employed. They train the workforce and match the right talent to the right company.

Sustainable Chemistry 

Sustainable chemistry involves finding lasting solutions to various issues like environmental protection, global healthcare, and food and water safety. Uniquely positioned as a commercial center and hub for comprehensive chemistry research, Delaware has seen a steady increase in the focus on sustainable chemistry. The industry continues to grow and rely on innovations. Incredible talent comes out of the world-class research universities that have a particular focus on chemistry and chemical engineering. The University of Delaware has a top 10 ranked Chemical Engineering program and multiple research institutes directly related to sustainable chemistry, such as the Center for Composite Materials, the Energy Institute, the Catalysis Center for Energy Innovation, and the Delaware Environmental Institute. Sustainable chemistry companies find a concentration of talent in Delaware with the highest concentration of chemical engineers and chemists in the United States – more than three times the national average.

The innovation ecosystem in Delaware forms the basis of the continued growth of all the key industries in Delaware, including the chemical industry. The industry is shifting to high-tech innovation to commercialize higher-value products and services with shorter turnaround times and reduces risk.  Delaware looks forward to a ‘ChemTech’ future that is driven by innovation, nurtured by sustainable chemistry, and strengthened by a diverse and talented resource pool.

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No State Builds Pathways from High School to Jobs as well as Delaware Does: Opinion

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Option: 1

No State Builds Pathways from High School to Jobs as well as Delaware Does: Opinion

7 NOVEMBER, 2019

How can it be that with the lowest unemployment rate in anyone’s memory, the U.S. still has 6.9 jobs seeking workers and 6.3 workers seeking jobs?

There is no single answer, but a big part of the problem is the skills gap – not enough workers with the right skills, especially to fill middle-skill jobs in such fields as health care, IT, and advanced manufacturing.

Many states are building pipeline programs to address this gap, programs that begin in high school, connect to post secondary institutions, and work with employers to ensure that students have the right skills to fill in-demand jobs that can get them launched on fulfilling careers.

No state does this as well as Delaware.

Over these past six years, Delaware has, from a standing start, created a statewide career pathways system that has become a model for the nation. Delaware has grown from 27 students enrolled in an advanced manufacturing program in 2014 to 16,000 students across the state currently enrolled in 25 career pathways in 12 high-growth, high-demand sectors of the state’s economy.

The state is on track to meet its goal of enrolling 20,000 students — half the high school population — in career pathways by 2020.

Delaware’s story is the lead chapter in a new book just published by Harvard Education Press, “Career Pathways in Action: Case Studies from the Field,” written by Nancy Hoffman and myself. This book, and the case study of Delaware Pathways, will be featured in a session at the upcoming annual Vision Coalition Conference Tuesday, Nov. 12 at the University of Delaware.

In a few short years, Delaware Pathways has transformed the education landscape. Career pathways match students’ interests with tailored instruction and relevant work-based learning experiences, and award industry-recognized credentials and college credits while students are still in high school.

These pathways provide on and off ramps for the full spectrum of options. A young person on a health care pathway could use it to decide: a) to become a certified nursing assistant so she can start earning some money while she weighs her options; b) to start working toward becoming a medical doctor; or c) that it isn’t the right field.

The goal is to give program participants enough early exposure to the world of work and careers to make informed decisions about what comes next after high school.

How has Delaware been able to build such a robust career pathways system in such a short time? The secret is partnership.

The collaboration among statewide entities like the departments of Education and Labor, Delaware Technical Community College, the United Way, Rodel and a network of private employers large and small led to the development of a compelling strategic plan specifying the roles and responsibilities of each partner.

This cross-agency structure is unusually strong, and a dedicated core team from the partner organizations has stuck together to implement that plan.

Delaware Pathways is not without its challenges, including the provision of meaningful work-based learning opportunities for all participants and the development of a long-range funding plan.

But with Gov. John Carney leading the effort to bring more employers to the table, the first challenge is being addressed, and given the broad-based political support for the program, I’m confident the funding challenge will be addressed as well.

Delaware, you are currently building what many believe is the most scalable and replicable career pathways model in the nation.

Keep pushing.

The leaders of the other 15 state and regional members of the Pathways Network are all pulling for you because what you build here could not only help your young people, but benefit their peers in states across the United States.

— Robert Schwartz is a professor emeritus of practice in educational policy and administration at Harvard Graduate School of Education and co-founder of the Pathways to Prosperity Network.

Kurt Foreman

PRESIDENT & CEO

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Delaware Biotech Businesses Focus on Innovation

Delaware Biotech Businesses Focus on Innovation

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Delaware Biotech Businesses Focus on Innovation

31 OCTOBER, 2019

For Delaware biotech companies, innovation is booming. Attracted to a business environment ripe with opportunity, bioscience companies in the First State are finding it possible to grow in a very dynamic ways. While Delaware’s enviable location, low cost of doing business, and collaborative, business-friendly environment are some of the key factors attracting biotech businesses, Delaware’s focus on innovation and rich diversity in biosciences makes it a prime location.

With the fourth highest number of employed PhDs working in the fields of science, engineering and healthcare, and a strong workforce and talent bred by the major academic institutions in the state, biotech companies in Delaware are primed for innovation. Read on to learn how a few of the leaders in the biotech industry are innovating in Delaware.

Incyte

Incyte is a global biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware. Founded in 2002, Incyte is focused on the discovery, development, and commercialization of novel medicines to meet serious unmet medical needs in oncology and inflammation and autoimmunity. Today, the Company employs more than 1,400 people in the US, Europe and Japan as it strives to discover and de-velop first-in-class and best-in-class medicines—advancing a diverse portfolio of large and small molecules.

Investing in Delaware has brought positive results according to Incyte’s CEO Hervé Hoppenot:

“It has been a very understanding community around us, from the county, from the city, from the state. I must say we have an extraordinarily positive support and frankly we stay out of the craziness of Boston, Palo Alto, Shanghai. We are very close to key academic centers which are basically not only bringing talent to our organization, but are also a place where we can do partnerships, scientific partner-ships… I think that Delaware is a place where we are taking root, putting our infrastructure, expanding our teams and it will be part of that adventure.”

Adesis, Inc.

Founded in 1991 as CB Research and Development in Newport, Delaware, Adesis, Inc. is one of the first boutique chemistry Contract Research Organizations (CROs) in North America. Today, Adesis is a leading custom organic synthesis CRO specializing in organic and organometallic synthesis to support the pharmaceuticals, biomaterials and catalyst industries.

Adesis is one of the fastest growing life sciences companies in America necessitating the expansion of their facilities. In October 2018, Adesis celebrated the grand opening of its new, state-of-the-art chemistry laboratories, where Adesis scientists perform leading-edge discovery, development, and commercialization services. Along with state and local Delaware officials, the Delaware Prosperity Partnership supported the expansion, awarding Adesis a $445,224 grant to help facilitate its growth, resulting in the creation of more high-tech jobs in Delaware.

Senator Tom Carper said it best when asked about the company’s latest expansion in Delaware:

“We are thrilled that Adesis chose to make Delaware its home, and we are rooting for the company’s continued success and growth. This expansion not only means job growth here and now in Delaware, but a level of innovation that can benefit generations to come.”

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Q&A with Christina Pellicane, I-Corps Program Administrator

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Q&A with Christina Pellicane, I-Corps Program Administrator

7 OCTOBER, 2019

Why do you think the NSF I-Corps is valuable to starts-up in the science and engineering space?

The University of Delaware’s NSF I-Corps Sites provides grants of up to $3,000 and training to support team-based customer discovery research aimed at investigating the commercial viability and societal impact of a novel STEM technology or process.

Typically, academic researchers who begin down the path of commercialization never stop to ask themselves, “Does anyone care about my technology?” or, even more insightfully, “How does my technology solve a real problem in the world today?”

The I-Corps Site program provides a low-risk environment and a structured process to systematically validate (or invalidate!) components of a business model and ultimately determine whether the business has product-market fit.

Not only that, but the I-Corps site program also provides $3,000 in non-dilutive funding to get out of the building and talk to potential customers. This is an opportunity that didn’t exist for entrepreneurs even 10 years ago. If you wanted to start a startup, you had to bootstrap it or find an investor who believed in you. Academics are great at explaining how a technology works but I-Corps teaches them to learn why it’s valuable to customers.

How many train-the-trainer sessions have you conducted so far?

This cohort is our 15th and it’s the first we’ve done in partnership with the NYC Regional Innovation Node (NYCRIN). NYCRIN runs all of their regional programs as a train-the-trainer, which makes this collaboration very exciting. We’ve been able to train 12 fantastic adjuncts who all have experience as startup founders, CEOs, intrapreneurs or investors! Our bench of potential I-Corps Site instructors has dramatically increased this fall.

Having a larger bench of instructors is important for diversity and inclusion (67% of our current adjuncts-in-training are women or underrepresented minorities) as well as our capacity to train even more I-Corps Site teams going forward with highly-qualified entrepreneurship practitioners.

How do we measure the success of I-Corps?

Fail fast. Fail often. Failing isn’t something we usually celebrate at a university but, when it comes to entrepreneurship education, we do.

It’s important that success is measured by learning and not by validating what you thought might be true about your business model. From that lens, success is measured by talking to many potential customers about their pain points, pivoting and iterating and finally building a solution to a problem that the entrepreneur knows exists because they heard it repeatedly and directly from the voice of the customer.

In addition to measuring the number of customer interviews and strength of the business model, success is measured by the number of teams who received follow-on funding. A few of these funding sources are the NSF I-Corps Teams program, VentureWell’s E-Teams program, our Blue Hen Proof of Concept Program and our Summer Founders pre-accelerator program.

We strongly encourage I-Corps Site teams to apply for the national NSF I-Corps Teams grant, which provides a $50,000 grant and a longer, more intense Lean LaunchPad program.

Tell us more about Horn Entrepreneurship & I-Corps:

Horn Entrepreneurship serves as the University of Delaware’s creative engine for entrepreneurship education and advancement. Built and actively supported by successful entrepreneurs and thought leaders, Horn Entrepreneurship empowers aspiring innovators and entrepreneurs as they pursue new ideas for a better world.

Horn Entrepreneurship became an NSF I-Corps site in 2014 with the central aim of serving as an “Ecosystem Catalyst” for the university and the broader region. In the 4+ years post-award, the impacts and outcomes associated with the site suggest that this aim has been accomplished.

The National Science Foundation Innovation Corps (NSF I-Corps) site program provides specialized training and mini grants of up to $3,000 to help teams bridge the gap between academic research and product commercialization, University intellectual property, or any STEM-related technology. This program provides real-world, hands-on learning experience that improve the odds for successful products and processes that benefit society.

The entire Team will engage with industry stakeholders – including customers, partners and competitors. The team will also experience first-hand, the chaos and uncertainty of commercializing innovations and creating ventures.

This course will not teach you how to write a research paper, business plan or NSF grant proposal. It is also not an exercise to prove how smart you are in a lab / classroom, how well you use the research library, or if you can publish a paper. Rather, this course is about “getting out of the building.” You will spend a significant amount of time talking to customers and testing your hypotheses. You should not participate in the I-Corps program if you cannot commit the time to talk to customers.

Referenced webpages:

Blue Hen Proof of Concept Program: https://www.udel.edu/research-innovation/horn/venture-support/blue-hen-poc/

UD I-Corps Site: https://www.udel.edu/research-innovation/horn/venture-support/nsf-i-corps-sites/

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White Dog Labs and Cargill Team up to Offer Sustainable Fish Feed

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White Dog Labs and Cargill team up to offer sustainable fish feed

30 SEPTEMBER, 2019 | DELAWARE BUSINESS TIMES

September 5, 2019 – Cargill, the global agricultural supply company, has entered an agreement with Newark-based White Dog Labs to develop sustainable alternatives to fishmeal in aqua feed.

The deal gives Cargill access to ProTyton, a patented single-cell protein developed by White Dog Labs that is produced by fermentation with corn feedstock.

The protein is set to ship out from White Dog Labs’ demo facility in Sutherland, Nebraska in 2020.

“This agreement underlines our commitment to sustainable aquaculture and discovering new and strategic ingredients that will help feed the world in a safe and responsible way,” said Adriano Marcon, president of Cargill’s aqua nutrition business. “ProTyton offers a good source of protein for fish and shrimp, an affordable feed ingredient for farmers and a sustainable option for the planet that lessens our reliance on fishmeal—which we know to be a finite resource.”

Starting off Cargill will offer ProTyton in salmon feed, with shrimp and other species on the horizon. In trials, salmon fed a diet containing ProTyton™ achieved a growth performance comparable to salmon on a conventional diet.

“We’re honored to partner with Cargill to lead the industry in the application of highly scalable, alternative proteins for aquaculture,” said Bryan Tracy, chief executive officer, White Dog Labs.

The agreement follows another collaboration for White Dog Labs. This summer the firm announced a strategic partnership with InnovaFeed to scale up and jointly market fish feed made with insect protein.

This article was originally posted on the Delaware Business Times at: https://www.delawarebusinesstimes.com/white-dog-labs-sustainable-fish-feed/

Kurt Foreman

PRESIDENT & CEO

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Premier Research Campus Available

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Premier Research Campus Available

11 JUNE, 2019

Available: Premier Research Campus

974 Centre Rd. Wilmington, DE 19805

  • First time on the market.
  • 444,000 sq ft of laboratory and support space.
  • Master planned development includes 14 buildings. Existing space totals 788,000 sq ft.
  • Seven stand-alone buildings, totaling 468,000 sq ft available for lease.
  • Existing infrastructure includes chemical, engineering, and process laboratories.
  • Campus served by central utility plant for the generation of chilled water and steam.
  • Highly flexible traditional poured concrete and steel constructed buildings.
  • Land available for potential build-to-suit opportunity

Click here for a campus map.

For more information:

Becky Harrington
Director, Business Development
302.576.6577
BHarrington@choosedelaware.com

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