Contact: Maridith Geuder
STARKVILLE, Miss.--A planned expansion of a Starkville-Mississippi State research park, along with a more efficient use of its existing space, will position the Golden Triangle as a leader in recruiting high-technology industries, retiring university President Charles Lee said Friday.
"The university is a strong economic engine for Mississippi, and the Thad Cochran Research, Technology and Economic Development Park will be an integral part of moving the region ahead," added Lee, who chairs the park's oversight board.
The approximately 220-acre park is located just north of the MSU campus on Highway 182.
In collaboration with local county and city governments, as well as the Oktibbeha County Economic Development Agency, the university recently assumed a major role in a restructured board.
In addition to Lee and five other university leaders, the 12-member board includes the mayors of Starkville, Maben and Sturgis. Others include representatives of OCEDA and the Oktibbeha County Board of Supervisors and Greater Starkville Development Partnership.
"This arrangement has created a single-source management that we think will serve the state well," Lee said, adding that an initial action will be an enlargement of the current space.
"During a Phase II expansion, the research park will incorporate an adjacent 52 acres owned by the university," said Colin Scanes, MSU vice president for research and graduate studies and another member of the oversight board.
Meanwhile, the board also is calling for more high-density development in the existing park to make efficient use of space. The "town" or "new urbanism" type of development will make the park a more attractive place for companies to develop, Scanes explained.
"We recently have agreed to covenants that specify building sizes, types and materials, with a goal of having in place the necessary infrastructure to aggressively recruit new industries," Scanes said.
He said there now is a lack of adequate space to meet industry interest. Additionally, the board is working with federal and local support to improve streets and curbing in the park.
Lee has established MSU economic development initiatives that include increasing research, enhancing industrial outreach and technology commercialization, and creating new spin-off companies and industrial partnerships that can make use of the research park.
Among current park tenants spun off from Mississippi State research is SemiSouth Laboratories, a manufacturer of silicon carbide semiconductors. Named one of the top five most promising companies at the national Semiconductor Venture Fair held earlier this month in San Francisco, SemiSouth is expected to grow to 80 employees this year.
The company also has been selected by Dow Jones and Venturewire as one of the top 50 emerging technology companies. SemiSouth's expertise was instrumental in attracting II-VI Incorporated, which in 2005 located in the research park to design and manufacture silicon carbide products with applications in radar and power conversion, Scanes said.
Another partnership announced in 2005 was ABSL Power Solutions. The United Kingdom-based company will draw on the research expertise of MSU's Institute for Clean Energy Technology--also a park tenant--to establish a research and development facility in support of space, defense and homeland security missions.
"These are outstanding examples of university, state and local officials working cooperatively to attract high-tech industries," Lee said. "We're looking to duplicate this kind of success with Mississippi State research strengths in areas that include transportation, aerospace, energy, software development, and homeland security."
A university goal is to generate 500 high-tech jobs by 2010, he added.
"Our vision is that the park will serve as a visible example of the quality of the region, as well as a magnet to attract additional high-technology industries," Lee said.