SwampFox

InnoVenture Southeast Announces 2011 Przirembel Prize Finalists

Register to attend InnoVenture Southeast 2011

Greenville, S.C. – The first annual Przirembel Prize will be awarded to a world-class southeastern collaboration that produced a high impact innovation on the evening of May 10, 2011 at the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research in Greenville, SC. From twenty-one applications received, three are finalists for the Prize, and four will be recognized as honorable mentions, at InnoVenture Southeast 2011.

“From one of the most significant military/industry collaborations since World War II to one of the best public high schools in the country, we are excited about the quality of the collaborations being recognized by the Przirembel Prize,” said John Warner, founder and CEO of InnoVenture LLC. “We have succeeded in demonstrating that the southeastern United States is an innovation powerhouse in the world.”

Przirembel Prize Finalists
With soldiers dying from roadside bombs in Afghanistan and Iraq, the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command a Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected vehicle program (SPAWAR MRAP) in North Charleston, SC, was designed to rapidly develop, protect the troops and provide the intelligence to understand the “who, what, and when” of threats. Commenting on the largest and fastest military acquisition buildup since WW II which delivered 10,000 vehicles in 18 months, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said, “the many successes of the joint MRAP vehicle program are the result of an overwhelming team effort by many players.”

The Carolinas Nuclear Cluster (CNC) is a collaboration of 47 companies, universities, technical colleges, and nonprofits that advance economic development in North Carolina and South Carolina by strengthening and expanding the region’s nuclear energy industry, including its workforce, technology, services, products and policies. The region leads in the design, construction and supply of nuclear-generated electricity. The two Carolinas supply 11.5% of the nation’s nuclear energy and are home to four publicly traded power generating firms and major energy engineering firms. North Carolina’s five reactors provide 32% of its generation, with two new units in the application process. South Carolina’s seven reactors produce 52% of its generation, with four new units in the application process. There are two additional reactors proposed just across the state line in Georgia. The capital cost for these six projects is estimated at $30 billion.

The Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering (JSNN) is a joint academic program of North Carolina A&T State University (NC A&T SU) and The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG). NC A&T SU is an Historically Black University with strong programs in the basic sciences and engineering. UNCG, the former Woman’s College of the UNC system, has a strong tradition in the liberal arts and has built considerable capabilities in the basic sciences. NC A&T SU and UNCG have come together to create this new joint school in order to reach far beyond what either could have achieved alone. JSNN is the only "nanoschool" that is a collaboration of two universities. JSNN is one of only two schools in the United States to have both nanoscience and nanoengineering degree programs. The economic impact of the JSNN/Gateway model on the Piedmont Triad region is conservatively projected to be approximately one-half billion dollars ($0.5 Billion) over a ten year period due to the job creation and investment expected.

Przirembel Prize Honorable Mention
The Charlotte Research Institute at UNC Charlotte seeks to empower the economic region surrounding Charlotte and the Southeast by enabling research growth, partnerships, and economic development.

The South Carolina Governor’s School for Science & Mathematics (GSSM) is a two-year, public, residential high school in Hartsville, S.C., specializing in the advanced study of science, mathematics, economics and finance. GSSM is the result of a dynamic public/private partnership energized by collaboration

The North Carolina Research Campus (NCRC) is a public-private venture created to foster collaboration and further knowledge in biotechnology, nutrition, agriculture, and health due to public-private partnership between David Murdock, owner of Dole Foods, and North Carolina.

The SeaHawk Interagency Operations Center (IOC) in Charleston, SC, brings together stakeholders from federal, state and local, law enforcement, fire, emergency management, transportation safety and the maritime industry, working collaboratively in a daily partnership to ensure South Carolina’s ports stay open for business.

About the Przirembel Prize
The Przirembel Prize recognizes collaborations across diverse organizations in the Southeastern United States recognized as significant by those outside the region. The Prize promotes best practices in open innovation and builds a greater sense of identity of the Southeastern United States as an innovation powerhouse in the world. The first annual award will be presented on May 10, 2011 at InnoVenture Southeast 2011. The Prize is named for Chris Przirembel, a leader in open innovation who fostered many high impact collaborations during his career as Clemson University Vice President for Research and Economic Development. For more information visit PrzirembelPrize.com.

About InnoVenture Southeast
The InnoVenture Southeast community, managed by InnoVenture LLC, helps members discover and develop new business opportunities by connecting them with the customers, capital, talent and technology needed to succeed. The eighth annual InnoVenture Southeast Conference will be held at the Carolina First Center in Greenville, SC on May 10 and 11, 2011. For more information visit 2011.InnoVentureSoutheast.com.

Register to attend InnoVenture Southeast 2011