TechTown has some ambitious goals for expansion and a big check to back it up.
Right now the business incubator just south of New Center serves as the home to 90 some start-ups in old auto-factory buildings converted into state-of-the-art office space and laboratories. The latest plan calls for a rapid expansion of its campus to facilitate between 400-500 start-ups within the next three years.
"We are the launching pad for innovation and the knowledge economy," says
Jay Noren, president of Wayne State University.
Making this possible is $5 million from the
New Economy Initiative along with the expertise and resources of the
Kauffman Foundation. The foundation's FastTrac program is an intensive 3-10 week training initiative for unemployed or underemployed people interested in becoming entrepreneurs. The program is expected to work with 800 individuals each year and serve as the main source of new start-ups for the expanded TechTown.
Source: Jay Noren, president of Wayne State University and TechTown
Writer: Jon Zemke
Enjoy this story?
Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.