SwampFox

The State: Przirembel Prize rewards building relationships

New prize rewards building relationships
By JEFF WILKINSON - jwilkinson@thestate.com

Business is all about relationships, they say. But in the knowledge-based, high-tech economy which South Carolina is trying to build, relationships between companies and academia are often tenuous.

So Greenville-based InnoVenture Southeast, which for almost a decade has worked to match entrepreneurs with researchers to create jobs, is establishing a new award for organizations that help build those relationships.

“Universities tend to be insular,” said John Warner, InnoVenture’s founder and principal. “Researchers often don’t know anyone (in business) in South Carolina because they aren’t from here.”

For instance, Warner said: USC endowed chair researcher Brian Benicewicz is a world renowned scientist in the field of fuel cells, so companies around the world reach out to him. South Carolina institutions need to leverage those connections and tap those companies to help create jobs here.

“He has a very large Rolodex,” Warner said.

So InnoVenture is creating the Przirembel Prize, to shine a light on collaborations that match researchers, high tech companies and entrepreneurs throughout the Southeast.

The prize honors the work of Chris Przirembel, who retired earlier this year from his position as vice president for research and economic development at Clemson University.

Przirembel fostered many collaborations across diverse organizations during his career, including the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research in Greenville and the Clemson University Advanced Materials Center in Anderson.

The award is aimed at groups such as the Columbia-based Consortium for Enterprise Systems Management, which is helping to get young people interested in careers in information technology by partnering with such diverse groups as BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, USC and IBM.

“They want to identify who’s really nurturing and cultivating all those fronts to come together for a common cause," said Lonnie Emard, the consortium’s executive director.Warner is presently touring cities like Raleigh, Huntsville, Ala., Knoxville, Tenn. and Atlanta to promote the prize and encourage nominations.

Nominations are due before Feb. 28. The prize will be awarded at the InnoVenture Southeast Conference on May 10 in Greenville.

There is no grant or monetary award attached to the prize, but its intent is to boost the visibility of successful collaborations so others can benefit from their example.

Read more: http://www.thestate.com/2010/12/03/1588458/new-prize-rewards-building-re...