Baltimore, MD (PRWEB) June 21, 2014 -- The ETC (Emerging Technology Centers: http://www.etcbaltimore.com) -- Baltimore City’s award-winning technology innovation center–welcomed last week a European Delegation of entrepreneurs, policy makers and Members of Parliament who were invited to the United States under the auspices of the Department of State's International Visitor Leadership Program and coordinated by the World Trade Center Institute (WTCI) in Baltimore, Maryland. Two weeks ago, the ETC hosted another European Delegation led by Dr. Rob de Wijk, Director of The Hague Security Delta.
“At ETC, we have always been pioneers,” said Deb Tillett, ETC’s President. “We work hard every day to innovate and move forward. We are so pleased that these distinguished delegations chose to visit us to see how we do what we do in Baltimore and how we stay on the leading edge of technology and best practices to help our emerging companies grow and become successful, all business is global these days and our companies are always looking for the next customer and opportunity,” she added.
Tillett said that she values these strategic international relationships greatly and the ETC will continue to foster and develop them in the coming years as part of its strategic plan; The ETC is only 1of 13 incubators in the U.S. that holds the prestigious "Soft Landings International Incubator Designation" from the National Business Incubation Association (NBIA) and only 1 in 24 worldwide. The NBIA has identified the ETC as having specialized programs and/or facilities for helping foreign companies break into new markets. “The hope is that once they get to know Baltimore and what is available here, that they will stay,” commented Tillett.
The Entrepreneurship and Innovation European Delegation spent most of the morning on June 6 touring ETC’s newest location in Highlandtown, learning about the ETC’s programs, partnerships and successes and attending a presentation by a current ETC resident company, Maven (http://www.mavenmedical.net), a tech company that leverages existing healthcare IT investment to provide decision support clinical intelligence on demand. Tillett continued, “Our European friends were able to see first-hand how a start-up can develop into a company that grows and adds jobs to its payroll by taking advantage of the ecosystem created by an incubator and its affiliate companies.” The delegation had an opportunity to ask Maven’s founder and CEO, Tony D’Agostino, about his journey as an entrepreneur, about the role that ETC played in Maven’s growth and maturation and the challenges that he was able to overcome.
Among the delegates were representatives of 11 European countries in different capacities, including Innovation Center Directors, Entrepreneurship Coordinators, Members of Parliament, University Professors and Researchers, Entrepreneurs and Regional Development Agency Directors. The delegation’s objectives while in the U.S. were to Examine how U.S. society fosters innovation and creativity in the private sector; to learn how entrepreneurs gain a space in the marketplace; to explore how academic and scientific research is converted to the commercial sector; to visit with innovation and entrepreneurship policy makers at the national and regional levels and exchange policy experience aimed at strengthening opportunities and successes of entrepreneurs; to highlight the variety and range of market niches served by successful entrepreneurs and innovators in sectors such as high tech, new media, retail, and consumer services; and to enhance understanding on how to link capital, business development services, and market access to enable entrepreneurs to build high-growth and high-impact ventures.
About the ETC (http://www.etcbaltimore.com)
The ETC, a venture of the Baltimore Development Corporation, is a non-profit business innovation center focused on growing early-stage technology and biotechnology companies. The ETC promotes economic development, providing business, technical, and networking connections to help these companies grow and prosper – adding to both the job and tax base of Baltimore City.
To date, ETC client companies have received over $1.6 billion in funding and created more than 2,325 creative-class jobs. Since 1999 ETC has provided assistance to 350 companies 87% are still in business. It is estimated that ETC companies have created in excess of $375.8 million in economic activity for the City of Baltimore. For every dollar the ETC takes in in produces $96 in economic output.
Contact: Jorge E. Castillo
jcastillo(at)etcbaltimore(dot)com
Jackie Albright, ETC, http://www.etcbaltimore.com, 631.219.4830, [email protected]
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