Riverside, Calif. (PRWEB) September 30, 2013 -- California state economic development director Kish Rajan and deputy director Louis Stewart will join state and local elected officials in Riverside for an Innovation Hub (i-Hub) announcement ceremony and expo at the Riverside County Administrative Center on Tuesday, October 8th. The GO-Biz team will be joined by Senator Richard D. Roth, Assemblymembers Jose Medina, Cheryl Brown and Mike Morrell, Supervisor John Benoit and more.
What: GO-Biz Innovation Hub Announcement and Expo
When: Tuesday, October 8th at 8:30 a.m.
Where: Riverside County Administrative Center
4080 Lemon Street, Riverside CA, 92501
“California’s is already home to the largest state network of Innovation Hubs in the U.S.,” said GO-Biz Director Kish Rajan. “GO-Biz’s announcement will further California’s status as the world leader in innovation and bring in new resources and partners to the initiative.”
Twelve existing i-Hubs span the state from Redding to San Diego and cover some of California's most vibrant economic sectors from agriculture to life science and from medical technology to bio-mass. They are a collaboration between partners with regional economic development authorities, local governments, private organizations, incubators, venture capital sources, and the higher education system to develop infrastructure and support for entrepreneurs to succeed in California.
“The i-Hub program has helped launch start-ups that are making advancements in tech, science, venture capital and more” said Deputy Director Stewart. “California has set a standard for advancing innovation that is being emulated around the world and GO-Biz is looking for ways to facilitate new opportunities through the i-Hub program.”
In the past year, i-Hubs have received over $1.3 million in federal funding, including:
- $200,000 for the Coachella Valley Economic Partnership of Palm Springs, California to develop an implementation-ready strategy to enhance the region’s capacity to attract and expand private investment in manufacturing and increase international trade and exports.
- $100,000 for China Lake Technologies to develop a strategy to create new jobs in the Kern County region in the emerging bio-products industry.
- $1 million in i6 Challenge Grants for a partnership between SARTA and UC Davis to create a Sacramento area AgTech Innovation Center that will help farmers and ranchers grow their businesses.
Meanwhile, GO-Biz has worked to expand California’s advanced manufacturing base by hosting the first ever California Advanced Manufacturing Summit (CAMS) designed to align the state’s efforts to compete for a new federal advanced manufacturing institute.
A video of GO-Biz innovation deputy Louis Stewart discussing California’s innovation network and highlighting Tuesday’s announcement can be found here.
The Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) serves as California’s single point of contact for economic development and job creation efforts. GO-Biz offers a range of services to business owners including: attraction, retention and expansion services, site selection, permit streamlining, clearing of regulatory hurdles, small business assistance, international trade development, assistance with state government, and much more. For more information visit: http://www.business.ca.gov.
Riley Robbins, CA Governor's Office of Business & Econ Development (GO-Biz), http://www.business.ca.gov, (916) 322-0671, [email protected]
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