29 replies to this topic

[Mith242]

I know we've discussed some news and developments going on around the tech park.  Thought maybe it might be nice to have them grouped together in a single topic.  I haven't had a lot of luck going through searching for some of the old posts.  I thought I'd start it off with some pics I took.  Decided to actually go down and see it.  I admit I thought there was going to be a little more there.  But hopefully since there seems to be some recent activity this will change soon.  Anyway here's some pics, mainly of the Genesis Incubator.  Am I right in thinking it's the only 'green' building in Fayetteville?  Although I think someone mentioned the new development that's just started will also be green as well.  Just seems like Fayetteville being a rather liberal city might have a little more selection of 'green' buildings.  



















If anyone remembers some previous posts dealing with this area feel free to repost some of the info here.  

[masons_dad1]

Mith242, on Jul 30 2006, 01:39 PM, said:

If anyone remembers some previous posts dealing with this area feel free to repost some of the info here.  

Here's the official website for the Arkansas Research & Technology Park (ARTP). There's tons of information about companies based there and grants awarded to them.


About ARTP:

The University of Arkansas Technology Development Foundation, is a 501©(3) organization formed to grow and manage the Arkansas Research and Technology Park. In cooperation with public and private business development entities, the Foundation will bolster University efforts to catalyze a technology-based economy in Arkansas. Specifically, the Foundation will validate, develop and transfer inventions made at the University to Arkansas companies and start-up ventures.


ARTP Master Plan:

Leading edge research facilities and a growing entrepreneurial culture make land adjacent to the University's Engineering Research Center and GENESIS Technology Incubator the logical choice for development of the ARTP. Located only five minutes from the University's main campus, our corporate partners benefit from the considerable intellectual and physical assets of a major research institution. The site's proximity to Fayetteville's Central Business District also affords convenient access to financial, legal and related commercial support services.

Key features included in the proposed master plan include:

*Carefully organized building clusters, offering a wide array of floor sizes, which can respond to specific project requirements

*A strong community aspect, both within the research park and its relationship to surrounding property development and the resulting centers of activity

*Clustered, well-landscaped parking within the property, enhancing the visual character of the project

*Establishment of a well-designed, landscaped internal road system including a hierarchy of streets, that will provide access to the site from several points, as well as between buildings

*Use of an abandoned railway line for an internal vehicular route, connecting the ARTP with the supporting public and private development

*Preservation and  enhancement of existing natural features, including streams and wooded areas

*Inclusion of mixed-use amenities, such as dining facilities, lounge spaces, outdoor spaces and trails, parks and plazas.


About ARTP Companies:

Acxiom Corporation - Software research and development in support of strategic corporate information solutions.

Arisetek - Research, design, and manufacture of electronic precision sensors and transducers providing enhanced functionality aimed at improved system integration, increased reliability, and reduced ongoing maintenance costs for customers.

Arkansas Power Electronics Incorporated (APEI) - Research and custom product design is the areas of electric power systems, power electronics, and electric machines where the customer’s need is characterized by minimal footprint, volume and mass.

Arkansas Capital Corporation - Provides alternative financing to small businesses.

MarketDrivers - Market research, market planning, brand strategy, positioning, and other marketing services.

teamlewis.biz - Advisory services to new and established businesses, non-profits, and institutions.

University of Arkansas Foundation - A charitable corporation created to advance higher education by securing private financial support for all units and activities of the University of Arkansas.

Virtual Incubation Company - Technology venture development company.

Agricultural Research Initiatives, Inc. (ARI) - Development of pest management strategies in agronomic, horticultural, turf grass, and ornamental cropping systems.

BioBased Technologies - Development of new research technology to synthesize new products from bio-based polyols. Located on the UA campus due to specialized laboratory needs.

EnviTreat - Provides laboratory services using specialized methods and equipment to evaluate the treatability of industrial wastes.

Logical Dynamics - Created and markets the bundle of technologies, code-named 'Ensurable', used in digital content security.

Lynguent, Inc. - Provider of high-performance software products focused on accelerating and managing semiconductor model development, Hardware Description Language model development, and Virtual test bench development.

Nanomaterials & Nanofabrications Labs (NN-Labs) - Research and development of technology to synthesize semiconductor nanocrystals, nanofabrication and nanodevices. Located on the UA campus due to specialized laboratory needs.

NanoMech, LLC - Develops nanoparticle-based coatings for application to medical implants, cutting tools, and microelectronics. Winner of the 2005 Frost & Sullivan Award for excellence in technology.

Ocean NanoTech, LLC - Research and development of nanomaterial-based electronic and optic devices.

Process Dynamics, Inc. - Manufactures and markets lube base oil and paraffin wax under the commercialization of the UA solvent de-waxing/de-oiling technology.

Sam's Club Call Center - Provides member services for the Sam's Club website by phone and by e-mail.

Space Photonics, Inc. - Develops and markets optical networking systems and components specifically designed to address the reliability and bandwidth limitations of military and commercial aircraft and spacecraft.

Vegrandis, LLC - Utilizes “microelectrochemical” technology to measure pathogens in small amounts of blood or other body fluids, specializing in the development and marketing of micro assays and laboratories-on-a-chip for clinical diagnostics.

WayLink Systems Corporation - Develops and markets highway information systems, with the current main product being a full-digital, multi-function highway data vehicle that assesses pavement for roughness and surface distress.

[Mith242]

Thanks, I suppose I could have at least provided the link.      I don't remember who posted it but they mentioned someone is building a new building over there.  I should have taken a pic of the groundwork but I didn't think about it at the time.  You can see a little of the groundwork in the background of the third pic.

[Mith242]

Apparently the Arkansas Aviations Technology Center will be moving to the ARTP soon.  It has been located at Drake Field.  I haven't heard that they'll be building a new building or anything so they might just be moving into one of the existing or being built buildings.

[Mith242]

R&D Magazine presented an award to NonoMech LLC for having one of the top 25 most innovative groundbreaking technologies of the year for it's cubic boron nitride coatings on cutting tools.

Edited by Mith242, 15 September 2006 - 08:57 AM.

[Mith242]

The Northwest Arkansas Times did an article on a company opening up new offices here soon.  Arkansas Power Electronics International is working on motors and power supplies and converters that can stand harsher conditions.  In particular for space use.  I just like hearing more about some of our newer high tech businesses in the area.  Here's their website.

http://www.apei.net/index.html

[masons_dad1]

Mith242, on Mar 9 2007, 01:06 PM, said:

The Northwest Arkansas Times did an article on a company opening up new offices here soon.  Arkansas Power Electronics International is working on motors and power supplies and converters that can stand harsher conditions.  In particular for space use.  I just like hearing more about some of our newer high tech businesses in the area.  Here's their website.

http://www.apei.net/index.html

It's really cool that Fayetteville is getting more technology oriented businesses, it's just too bad they're only research companies and the development and manufacturing will go somewhere else. It's still nice to have, but they will have very little economic impact on Fayetteville or Arkansas in general.

[Thia]

masons_dad1, on Mar 9 2007, 06:45 PM, said:

It's really cool that Fayetteville is getting more technology oriented businesses, it's just too bad they're only research companies and the development and manufacturing will go somewhere else. It's still nice to have, but they will have very little economic impact on Fayetteville or Arkansas in general.

Technology businesses are good.  Just look at Ft Smith to assess the potential for domestic manufacturing opportunities.  Tech and service jobs have more potential in this region.

The FEDC, the Chamber, and the City of Fayetteville are all focused on bringing more high tech/higher paying jobs to NWA.  And they have been targeting this for at least the past few years (or much longer.)  Many of the potential opportunities have confidentiality clauses that mean they can't be discussed until they are a done deal...  so we’ll never know the prospects, the process to win them, or the progress until they are won or lost.  

The latest pitch… watch for NWA to become the nation’s “green” valley/region of “sustainability.”  It would be cool if it really happens. With W-M, Tyson, and JBHunt located here and pushing for sustainability initiatives it could happen

[Mith242]

Thia, on Mar 11 2007, 02:41 AM, said:

Technology businesses are good.  Just look at Ft Smith to assess the potential for domestic manufacturing opportunities.  Tech and service jobs have more potential in this region.

The FEDC, the Chamber, and the City of Fayetteville are all focused on bringing more high tech/higher paying jobs to NWA.  And they have been targeting this for at least the past few years (or much longer.)  Many of the potential opportunities have confidentiality clauses that mean they can't be discussed until they are a done deal...  so we’ll never know the prospects, the process to win them, or the progress until they are won or lost.  

The latest pitch… watch for NWA to become the nation’s “green” valley/region of “sustainability.”  It would be cool if it really happens. With W-M, Tyson, and JBHunt located here and pushing for sustainability initiatives it could happen

I agree.  I didn't mention it in this topic but Fayetteville just missed a $200 Mil tech facility not long ago.  But because of confidentiality we don't know what company it was.  It was down to Fayetteville and another city when the company decided not to expand after all.  But who knows, maybe a little in the future they might decide to again and maybe Fayetteville will have a good chance again.  It's not going to happen overnight but I think you can see we're working on it.

[cowbreath]

Someone was curious about the buildout plans before at the Research and technology park.  Here is the image of it from the website.  The current buildings are marked.

[thewizard16]

cowbreath, on Oct 8 2007, 10:13 AM, said:

Someone was curious about the buildout plans before at the Research and technology park.  Here is the image of it from the website.  The current buildings are marked.

That's an impressive plan... any ideas on when they'll actually start on an expansion? The Technology Park may be a very important asset/factor to our area if we're going to be a "center" for sustainability and research.

[Mith242]

I believe they may still be working on one of the new buildings over there.  I don't go by there very often.  I was a little disappointed because the new building wasn't as 'innovative' looking as I had hoped.  But still even if it's not very impressive looking, as long as there's more space for future research.

[cowbreath]

Mith242, on Oct 8 2007, 02:48 PM, said:

I believe they may still be working on one of the new buildings over there.  I don't go by there very often.  I was a little disappointed because the new building wasn't as 'innovative' looking as I had hoped.  But still even if it's not very impressive looking, as long as there's more space for future research.

I think they're closed to finishing two connecting roads to Cato Springs Rd.  I'm not sure where they are on the new buildings.  All I can say is, if they are filling this place in with people this is great, however ugly the buildings are.

[zman9810]

I imgine it will have more of an industrial/ warehouse look than look like a office or school campus, although it does look to have a lot of green space. I didn't realize it had that much frontage right on 71B. When Cato Springs is widened the park will be very accessible and visible so hopefully it will look nice. Of course you all are right- as long as it fills up with business and people it's all good.

[Mith242]

zman9810, on Oct 9 2007, 01:12 PM, said:

I imgine it will have more of an industrial/ warehouse look than look like a office or school campus, although it does look to have a lot of green space. I didn't realize it had that much frontage right on 71B. When Cato Springs is widened the park will be very accessible and visible so hopefully it will look nice. Of course you all are right- as long as it fills up with business and people it's all good.

I thought the building they built a couple of years ago was rather interesting.  It looks like something that's also LEED certified.  I guess I had thought maybe the newer buildings would follow it's example.  So I guess in that aspect I'm a little disappointed.  But like I said, I guess the important thing is to get more space over there and get things going.

[Mith242]

Space Photonics will receive a little under $4 Mil in funding from Small Business Innovation Research.  Space Photonics apparently works with optical networking systems.  This grant will go towards laser communications between satellites.  They apparently did the work on some radiation tolerant fiber optic components that will be taken to the International Space Station in a 2010 space flight.

[strmchsr77]

A new 60,000 sq foot building will be added to the Tech Park soon.  The Innovation center is completely full now.  The new building will be two stories.  With all of the problems with vacant office space in NWA, it sounds like this area is on of the most rapidly growing areas commercially.

[Mith242]

strmchsr77, on Feb 2 2008, 06:56 AM, said:

A new 60,000 sq foot building will be added to the Tech Park soon.  The Innovation center is completely full now.  The new building will be two stories.  With all of the problems with vacant office space in NWA, it sounds like this area is on of the most rapidly growing areas commercially.

Good to hear, this is the area the city needs to really get going.

[zman9810]

Mith242, on Feb 2 2008, 07:54 AM, said:

Good to hear, this is the area the city needs to really get going.

That is good news- a rather large addition to the Tech Park. Must be a good demand for space there. With the widening of Cato Springs Road and the new Bio-Based building at the corner of Cato and Razorback coming that area is becoming a hot spot for new development. Fayetteville is finally filling in the south part of town.

[zman9810]

The NWA Business Journal reports that a new 65,000 sq. ft. building named the Enterprise Center is beginning construction here. It will be a multi-tenant space and the interior can be customized to what the tenants needs are. The core and shell or the building are expected to be completed by January 2010 and costs will depend on how the interior is improved based on tenant needs.