Southern Arizona’s Sci-Tech Engine Gets Boost from UARC
Bob Davis • published in the July 2011 issue
Southern Arizona, with Tucson as its core, is an emerging dynamo of science discovery and technology-focused, especially bio- and solar-based, enterprise. But whether the region begins to takeoff as an entrepreneurial generator or to once again fizzle from overheated good intention is still to be decided. And so, the region is on the precipice of serious stagnation or exciting expansion.What could make the difference between regional success and failure are the current activities and outcome for the initiative with the current name University of Arizona Research Corporation (UARC). It’s important to note that UARC is not just another attempt to fix the evidence of UA’s technology transfer to entrepreneurial based, as opposed to institutionally based, projects. Entrepreneurial projects and small businesses are like having the proverbial One Thousand Flowers Bloom—more companies with more jobs and a better economy for the entire region.
Entrepreneurial business for this science-technology-innovation sector depends for its advance not just on new knowledge for its contribution to the emerging economies of the region. Such business is also dependent on companies servicing these enterprises—banking and lending, personal and casualty insurance, commercial and business real estate, intellectual property and general business legal, but also personal services that make our region a vibrant and enjoyable place to live.
Significantly, new supply chain services will undoubtedly emerge, such as those seen with the arrival in the region of the internationally positioned, bio-based and solar-industry companies. All of these will be influenced by the outcome of the UARC initiative.
The prospect of streamlining commercialization of science applications and technologies, especially in bio-based enterprise and those developed at and with the University of Arizona, has those focused on economic development and global innovation in the region very excited and hopeful. These outcomes of the UARC initiative are likely to accelerate knowledge-based enterprise with consequence for all in the region.
UARC has broad and deep support, with recommendations from a range of specialty experts and consultants. The regional community should soon have the information to judge about the UARC initiative’s potential to be presented by a broadly-based committee comprised of a team of UA, technology, and business leaders led by the UA’s Dr. Leslie Tolbert. The recommendations of that team are in final preparation to UA leadership for presentation to the Arizona Board of Regents for its approval.
Also in preparation is a survey of regional investment, finance, insurance, real estate, and legal service businesses and activity, which is likely to reveal telling indicators. Questions posed by this private sector-sponsored survey include: looks at angel, venture, and grant investment activity level s, currently and compared with other time periods; and the levels of activity in the preparation of patents, copyrights and other intellectual property. In commercial real estate we have seen new, incoming projects of significance as well as expansion- relocations of current users, with the attendant increase of business for funders and other service providers, such as building services.
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