by Tony Grindberg, Executive Director
 
February 2006
Dear Stakeholders,
It promises to be another exciting year here at the NDSU Research & Technology Park. Alien Technology® and the NDSU Candlewood Suites will begin operations this spring and on Feb. 24, 2006, the Board of Directors of the Research & Technology Park approved the first bid package to begin construction of the technology incubator facility, called the Center for Technology Enterprise.
The total for the first phase of the project is estimated at $6.1 million dollars, which represents a 20% increase from our original estimates, largely due to increased costs with steel and concrete. Construction will begin in Apr. 2006 and after three years of planning and fundraising, we are excited to begin construction and advance our mission to accelerate new technology business development here at NDSU.
We anticipate the facility will be completed in December 2006, with Bobcat and Feed Management Systems operating in the facility as our two primary anchor tenants. Appareo Systems and Pedigree Technologies also will be the first two start-up companies to reside in the incubator. As our program evolves, we will be in a great position to advance new technology-based businesses.
I would like to thank our contributors, community and state leaders, and the congressional delegation for the tremendous support and appreciation for our efforts to advance North Dakota. Now that the project is starting construction, you can expect to see a higher level of awareness in the months to come regarding the incubator's mission and objectives which will include: Entrepreneur coaching, business plan development, market research, client networking, finance, access to university expertise and product development assistance.
On Jan. 24, 2006, our 14-member incubator advisory committee held a strategy session relating to the incubator operation. During the meeting, the group identified strengths and opportunities.
| Strengths: | Opportunities: |
| Supportive community | RFID ventures |
| Commitment from NDSU | Work with area high schools |
| Focused on core technology development | Enhance economic development |
| Intellectual capital | Clear competitive advantages |
| Location | NDSU is a growing campus-entrepreneurial environment |
| Solid momentum | University expertise core clusters |
| Strong support from stakeholders | Educational opportunities |
| Results-driven team | Solid recognition |
Once again, I want to express our gratitude to our stakeholders for their support and appreciation of our organization's objectives. We look forward to the challenges and opportunities to advance North Dakota by increasing an emphasis in science and technology development.
Tony Grindberg
Executive Director
tony@ndsuresearchpark.com
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