Florida/NASA Business Incubator Invited into 
Clean Energy Incubator Alliance

Titusville, Fla. – The Florida/NASA Business Incubation Center (FNBIC) will join the Clean Energy Incubator Alliance, a strategic alliance formed by the Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), to support the growth and development of technology-based start-up companies in the energy sector. 

Dave Kershaw, FNBIC director and Frank Kinney, TRDA executive director will travel to Washington DC later this week to participate in the first strategic planning meeting for the alliance. FNBIC joins a distinguished group of incubators from across the country – Boston Technology Venture Center, Austin Technology Incubator, Environmental Business Cluster in California and the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with the Center for Environmental Sciences and Technology Management at the Albany State University of New York. 

FNBIC provides qualified companies with strategic, financial and management services in an energized business setting. NREL will build upon theses services and leverage its relationships with international institutions, the venture capital community, multi-lateral lending institutions and nation, state and local governments to help FNBIC jumpstart clean energy businesses in Brevard County. 

Clean energy technologies aren’t a new area of interest for FNBIC. “With our connection to the Technology Research and Development Authority, we’ve been aware of the need to increase the focus on clean energy technology,” said Kershaw, FNBIC director and former energy program manager with TRDA. “We believe that technological change is impacting the energy industry, driven in part by the growing demand for electricity worldwide, the threat of climate change, and the Internet economy. As we have seen with information and communications technologies, we believe the rewards are potentially huge for innovators and investors at the forefront of new, clean energy systems.” 

The alliance is interested in a broad range of companies from technology-based spin-offs and fledgling start-ups to research-based companies. Technological areas of interest include renewable power generation, distributed generation and storage, power quality, communications and controls, fuel cells, energy conservation, clean energy-related information technology, end-use consumer products and distribution automations. 

In the past four years, NREL has been helping move energy-based businesses from the research and development stage to market through a series of forums that put companies in touch with financial and business leaders. 

“The forums showed us just how difficult it is for entrepreneurial companies to make the transition from a technology-focused start-up to a market-focused business,” said Dr. Marty Murphy, NREL Project Manager for the Clean Energy Technology Incubator initiative. “We want to market the same services that are available to the “dot.com” and telecommunications companies, available to young clean energy companies. This alliance helps that process by immersing entrepreneurs in a business environment where the correct balance of market and technology development can move these companies successfully into the marketplace,” Murphy said. 

Established by the Technological Research and Development Authority (TRDA) in 1996, the Florida/NASA Business Incubation Center helps accelerate the success of technology-based, small businesses by providing affordable space, shared office services and fulfilling enterprise development needs to give companies a strong competitive edge.  The Incubator is managed through a joint partnership of Florida’s TRDA, NASA-Kennedy Space Center and Brevard Community College. 

The Technology Research and Development Authority (TRDA), established by the Florida Legislature in 1987, delivers the successful and cost-effective transfer of cutting edge technologies to schools and small businesses throughout the State of Florida. Through strategic alliances with NASA, the federal government, the aerospace industry and state partners – including the Department of Education, Enterprise Florida and the Department of Community Affairs – TRDA is giving Floridians the edge to successfully compete in the new millennium. TRDA sponsors programs that enhance education, space research and economic development within the state.