Author: Delaware Prosperity Partnership

Wilmington, Delaware economic development

DPP’s Role in Delaware Economic Development

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DPP’s Role in Delaware Economic Development

20 November 2019 – 

This month, we had an opportunity to meet with Becky Harrington, Director of Business Development, to chat about Delaware’s economic development efforts. Below, she shares some background and insights about the Delaware Prosperity Partnership (DPP) and its role in helping the state attract new jobs and companies. (This interview has been edited for length and clarity.)

Leading Delaware’s Economic Development Efforts

Like most state economic development organizations, when the DPP was formed, it focused on creating new jobs and investment in Delaware. These efforts focus on four areas:

  1. Attraction – Focusing on bringing new companies here
  2. Expansion – Engaging and supporting existing employers
  3. Innovation – Convening and supporting new, emerging sectors
  4. Talent – Enhancing the state’s talent pool and supporting employers in their workforce needs

Most states focus on the first three areas, but the fourth area has been increasing in importance across the nation. The emphasis on workforce and talent cultivation has become an increasingly important element of attracting new companies and retaining existing employers. As a result, DPP has a focus on talent attraction, to complement what Delaware Technical Community College and other colleges and universities are doing. We want to further strengthen Delaware’s talent pipeline with a two-pronged approached – by developing local talent and attracting employees from outside the state. We have some exciting initiatives that will help Delaware stay competitive.

Partnerships Fuel Delaware Economic Development

Our economic development efforts are fueled by strong partnerships. We include our statewide partners when we engage with new companies and site selectors. Because of these valuable partnerships, prospects considering Delaware are able to ask peer companies important questions about the business climate, labor force, taxes, and quality of life.

Delaware’s Collaborative Spirit

In Delaware, we often say that we are bigger because of our size. We can easily access elected officials, regulatory agency leaders, and community leaders to help our clients and prospects. When a prospect sees how cooperative our state is, it makes it easy to visualize how Delaware can be a good fit for their company.

Delaware’s Pro-Business Attitude

We have a pro-business attitude in Delaware, both on the government side and corporate leadership side. It is exciting to be here working with DPP – From Governor John Carney to our Congressional delegation to our private sector investors, there is a great focus on creating the right kind of jobs and the right kind of investments in our state.

If you’re looking to grow or expand your business or would like to learn how our Delaware economic development agency can help you, contact us today at (302) 477-7497.

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Datwyler Sealing Solutions plant in Middleton Delaware

Datwyler Sealing Solutions Chooses Delaware for $100 Million Facility

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Datwyler Sealing Solutions Chooses Delaware for $100 Million Facility

Datwyler Sealing Solutions new facility Middleton DE

13 November, 2019 – 

When Datwyler Sealing Solutions decided to expand its manufacturing and distribution capabilities in North America, the Swiss company’s site selection criteria were quite specific. After considering locations across the United States, company leaders concluded that Middletown, Delaware, was the optimal location for its new $100 million, 200,000 sq. ft. manufacturing plant.

“We identified a handful of areas across the country that might satisfy our needs, “says Frank Schoubben, site director of the company’s new Middletown, DE, plant. He served as a member of the team tasked with selecting the new U.S. site.

Datwyler, a more than 100-year-old firm headquartered in the heart of the Swiss Alps, began as a manufacturer of rubber products, including tires. Today, however, Datwyler Holding owns 50 business entities, with sales in over 100 countries and employing more than 8,000 employees. Its product line includes a broad range of rubber stoppers, aluminum seals, plungers, combiseals, tip caps and needle shields used in pharmaceutical products, medical devices and for diagnostic research and drug development. Datwyler Sealing Solutions also makes products for the automotive business, consumer goods, oil & gas, and general industries.

The new Middletown plant, opened in 2018, is dedicated to Datwyler’s proprietary clean-room technology dubbed “FirstLine.” The technology is aimed at eliminating contamination in the manufacturing process, a critical concern in the pharmaceutical and medical devices industries.

During the site selection process, location was first on the list of Datwyler’s critical considerations. The site had to be near the company’s major customers in the pharmaceutical and medical devices industries. Sites across the continental United States were under consideration, but Datwyler was especially interested in locations in the tri-state area of New York, Delaware, and New Jersey, an epicenter of the American pharma industry.

In addition to geographic concerns, the company knew it would need to hire in excess of 100 employees with a variety of technical and business skills. So, a critical element of the search process was a survey of educational resources that would be nearby and responsive to Datwyler’s requirements.

Finally, the new site had to be near a major, international airport.

In the end, Middletown, Delaware, made the cut. 

A native of Belgium, Schoubben holds a master’s degree in industrial engineering and electrical mechanics with a specialty in polymers. A 16-year veteran of Datwyler, he has worked at company sites around the world. Most importantly, he led a greenfield site project in India, so he has lived through – and mastered – the tricky process of managing the technical and regulatory details of site selection.

“A number of things attracted us to Delaware. Of course, its proximity to our customers, many of whom are in New Jersey, was a key factor,” says Schoubben. “There are about 100 colleges and universities within a 2-hour drive from Delaware, so we knew we would have an attractive pool of well-educated people to satisfy our hiring needs.”

While technical competency is a requirement for employment with companies like Datwyler, so-called “soft skills” are also in demand. “A key objective of our hiring process is to identify people we can groom as future leaders,” says Schoubben. “We are engaged in that search now and expect to hire a total of 120 employees for this site.”

“We appreciate and admire Delaware’s historic ties to the chemical industry and manufacturing,” says Schoubben.  “And, of course, the scale of business and industrial growth in the Middletown area made it clear that this area welcomes companies like ours.”

Once Delaware emerged as the leading contender, Datwyler reached out to state economic development officials to explore the feasibility of locating in the Middletown area.

“Our experience was great,” Schoubben says. “It was very easy to establish open communications with state and local officials.”

He says they helped the company overcome potential barriers to obtaining permits and navigating regulatory workstreams. Because of their extensive experience, Delaware officials were able to arrange key contacts, make introductions and sequence events so that the overall process flowed smoothly.

“It’s been a good ride for us,” says Schoubben. “We continue to have good relationships with state and local officials and they continue to provide support when we need it. The fact that it took only 18 months from groundbreaking to grand opening is really notable. This is a winner for us!”

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North East England and Delaware sign economic development MOU

Delaware and North East England Sign Economic Development MOU

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Delaware and North East England Sign Economic Development MOU

Partnership will support international growth for bioscience, engineering & FinTech firms

(Wilmington, Del.) The Delaware Prosperity Partnership (DPP), the state economic development organization, and the North East Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), a public, private and education sector partnership in North East England, UK, have signed a cooperative agreement to support joint business development. LEP works in partnership with the business community to grow the economy and create more and better jobs in the region.

Specifically, the two organizations will work together to support mutually beneficial international expansion for firms that work in:

  • Bioscience/Life Science and Wind Supply Chain
  • Advanced Engineering and FinTech
  • Innovation and Skills

North East England is one of nine official regions of England, which includes Northumberland, County Durham and Tyne and Wear. The North East LEP is responsible for promoting and developing economic growth in the local authority areas of County Durham, Gateshead, Newcastle, North Tyneside, Northumberland, South Tyneside and Sunderland.

Representing Delaware was Kurt Foreman, President and CEO of DPP and Rod Ward, CEO of CSC, one of the world’s premier providers of business, legal, tax, and digital brand services. Ward is Co-Chair of the DPP Board of Directors.

Representing the UK was Andrew Hodgson, North East LEP Chair, and Helen Golightly, North East LEP Chief Executive.

Both economic development organizations will promote their partner area as a location for local firms looking for international business expansion opportunities. They will actively collaborate, support joint events, and encourage cross-education and training through the local universities.

“This agreement was a natural fit for our organizations and for the areas we represent,” said Kurt Foreman of the DPP. “Delaware and North East England will actively support one another in sectors where we both have strengths, helping our local companies become international companies by directly connecting them to our partners overseas. We look forward to the cross-Atlantic success stories and the jobs that will follow.”

“Delaware’s strengths in financial services, health and life sciences, renewable energy and advanced manufacturing match those of the North East, so I see a great opportunity for us to work together to create opportunities for local companies to collaborate and do business,” said Andrew Hodgson, Chair of the North East LEP. “Targeted region-to-region agreements like this demonstrate how we will use our Local Industrial Strategy to connect North East England into global trading networks.

“Delaware Prosperity Partnership (DPP) shares our ambition to improve innovation and skills across all sectors of industry to create a stronger economy. I’m looking forward to working with our colleagues from the U.S. to share learning and develop ideas that strengthen our connections and improve opportunities for businesses in the North East.”

About Delaware Prosperity Partnership

Created in 2017, Delaware Prosperity Partnership (DPP) is the nonprofit state economic development agency that leads the state of Delaware’s economic development efforts to attract, grow and retain businesses. We work with site selectors, commercial developers and business executives focused on where to locate or grow a business. Our team provides and reviews potential sites, cost-of-living analysis, quality-of-life information and funding opportunities, including available tax credits and incentives.

About North East Local Enterprise Partnership

North East Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), a public, private and education sector partnership in North East England, UK, works in partnership with the business community. Through its Strategic Economic Plan, it aims to grow the economy and create 100,000 more and better jobs for the North East by 2024.

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No State Builds Pathways from High School to Jobs as well as Delaware Does: Opinion

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No State Builds Pathways from High School to Jobs as well as Delaware Does: Opinion

7 NOVEMBER, 2019

How can it be that with the lowest unemployment rate in anyone’s memory, the U.S. still has 6.9 jobs seeking workers and 6.3 workers seeking jobs?

There is no single answer, but a big part of the problem is the skills gap – not enough workers with the right skills, especially to fill middle-skill jobs in such fields as health care, IT, and advanced manufacturing.

Many states are building pipeline programs to address this gap, programs that begin in high school, connect to post secondary institutions, and work with employers to ensure that students have the right skills to fill in-demand jobs that can get them launched on fulfilling careers.

No state does this as well as Delaware.

Over these past six years, Delaware has, from a standing start, created a statewide career pathways system that has become a model for the nation. Delaware has grown from 27 students enrolled in an advanced manufacturing program in 2014 to 16,000 students across the state currently enrolled in 25 career pathways in 12 high-growth, high-demand sectors of the state’s economy.

The state is on track to meet its goal of enrolling 20,000 students — half the high school population — in career pathways by 2020.

Delaware’s story is the lead chapter in a new book just published by Harvard Education Press, “Career Pathways in Action: Case Studies from the Field,” written by Nancy Hoffman and myself. This book, and the case study of Delaware Pathways, will be featured in a session at the upcoming annual Vision Coalition Conference Tuesday, Nov. 12 at the University of Delaware.

In a few short years, Delaware Pathways has transformed the education landscape. Career pathways match students’ interests with tailored instruction and relevant work-based learning experiences, and award industry-recognized credentials and college credits while students are still in high school.

These pathways provide on and off ramps for the full spectrum of options. A young person on a health care pathway could use it to decide: a) to become a certified nursing assistant so she can start earning some money while she weighs her options; b) to start working toward becoming a medical doctor; or c) that it isn’t the right field.

The goal is to give program participants enough early exposure to the world of work and careers to make informed decisions about what comes next after high school.

How has Delaware been able to build such a robust career pathways system in such a short time? The secret is partnership.

The collaboration among statewide entities like the departments of Education and Labor, Delaware Technical Community College, the United Way, Rodel and a network of private employers large and small led to the development of a compelling strategic plan specifying the roles and responsibilities of each partner.

This cross-agency structure is unusually strong, and a dedicated core team from the partner organizations has stuck together to implement that plan.

Delaware Pathways is not without its challenges, including the provision of meaningful work-based learning opportunities for all participants and the development of a long-range funding plan.

But with Gov. John Carney leading the effort to bring more employers to the table, the first challenge is being addressed, and given the broad-based political support for the program, I’m confident the funding challenge will be addressed as well.

Delaware, you are currently building what many believe is the most scalable and replicable career pathways model in the nation.

Keep pushing.

The leaders of the other 15 state and regional members of the Pathways Network are all pulling for you because what you build here could not only help your young people, but benefit their peers in states across the United States.

— Robert Schwartz is a professor emeritus of practice in educational policy and administration at Harvard Graduate School of Education and co-founder of the Pathways to Prosperity Network.

Kurt Foreman

PRESIDENT & CEO

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Delaware Biotech Businesses Focus on Innovation

Delaware Biotech Businesses Focus on Innovation

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Delaware Biotech Businesses Focus on Innovation

31 OCTOBER, 2019

For Delaware biotech companies, innovation is booming. Attracted to a business environment ripe with opportunity, bioscience companies in the First State are finding it possible to grow in a very dynamic ways. While Delaware’s enviable location, low cost of doing business, and collaborative, business-friendly environment are some of the key factors attracting biotech businesses, Delaware’s focus on innovation and rich diversity in biosciences makes it a prime location.

With the fourth highest number of employed PhDs working in the fields of science, engineering and healthcare, and a strong workforce and talent bred by the major academic institutions in the state, biotech companies in Delaware are primed for innovation. Read on to learn how a few of the leaders in the biotech industry are innovating in Delaware.

Incyte

Incyte is a global biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware. Founded in 2002, Incyte is focused on the discovery, development, and commercialization of novel medicines to meet serious unmet medical needs in oncology and inflammation and autoimmunity. Today, the Company employs more than 1,400 people in the US, Europe and Japan as it strives to discover and de-velop first-in-class and best-in-class medicines—advancing a diverse portfolio of large and small molecules.

Investing in Delaware has brought positive results according to Incyte’s CEO Hervé Hoppenot:

“It has been a very understanding community around us, from the county, from the city, from the state. I must say we have an extraordinarily positive support and frankly we stay out of the craziness of Boston, Palo Alto, Shanghai. We are very close to key academic centers which are basically not only bringing talent to our organization, but are also a place where we can do partnerships, scientific partner-ships… I think that Delaware is a place where we are taking root, putting our infrastructure, expanding our teams and it will be part of that adventure.”

Adesis, Inc.

Founded in 1991 as CB Research and Development in Newport, Delaware, Adesis, Inc. is one of the first boutique chemistry Contract Research Organizations (CROs) in North America. Today, Adesis is a leading custom organic synthesis CRO specializing in organic and organometallic synthesis to support the pharmaceuticals, biomaterials and catalyst industries.

Adesis is one of the fastest growing life sciences companies in America necessitating the expansion of their facilities. In October 2018, Adesis celebrated the grand opening of its new, state-of-the-art chemistry laboratories, where Adesis scientists perform leading-edge discovery, development, and commercialization services. Along with state and local Delaware officials, the Delaware Prosperity Partnership supported the expansion, awarding Adesis a $445,224 grant to help facilitate its growth, resulting in the creation of more high-tech jobs in Delaware.

Senator Tom Carper said it best when asked about the company’s latest expansion in Delaware:

“We are thrilled that Adesis chose to make Delaware its home, and we are rooting for the company’s continued success and growth. This expansion not only means job growth here and now in Delaware, but a level of innovation that can benefit generations to come.”

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Prelude Therapeutics Expands in Delaware

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Prelude Therapeutics Expands in Delaware

Adding biotech jobs in cancer drug discovery research

(Wilmington, Del.) Prelude Therapeutics, a privately-held, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, is expanding in Delaware – planning to add up to 49 biotech positions by 2022 and invest $5 million in expanded lab and office space in the Wilmington area.

Prelude conducts research focused on key drivers of cancer cell growth, survival, and resistance. They currently have two clinical trials in progress, with more pre-clinical development candidates in the pipeline.

The company is outgrowing its current locations, split between the Delaware Innovation Space (located on the site of the former DuPont Experimental Station) in Wilmington, Del. and nearby overflow office space.

To support the local growth of this innovative, Delaware-based biotech company, the Council on Development Finance (CDF) recently approved Prelude for a Performance Grant of $684,090 and a Capital Expenditure grant of $150,000 for a total of up to $834,090. Both would come from the Delaware Strategic Fund and both are contingent on Prelude meeting its hiring goals.

With the additional job growth, Prelude’s team will expand to a projected total of 81 employees by 2022. The new positions include professional scientists and skilled associates and will add approximately $5.5 million to its annual payroll.

Prelude began operations in 2016 with a handful of employees and has now grown to 32 people, drawing international attention for their innovative discoveries and attracting top pharmaceutical and biotech talent to Delaware.

“We’re really pleased to support the expansion of Prelude – one of Delaware’s most exciting and innovative start-ups,” said Governor John Carney. “Prelude’s decision to expand in Delaware reaffirms that our state is a great place for business of all sizes to put down roots, grow and create good-paying jobs.”

“As a company, we sincerely appreciate the continued support from the state of Delaware,” said Prelude Therapeutics CEO, Kris Vaddi, Ph.D. “The Wilmington area provides an attractive location for hiring experienced and talented scientific, clinical and operational teams needed to build a successful biopharmaceutical company. We look forward to executing our drug discovery and development strategy to drive growth within the company over the coming years.”

About Prelude Therapeutics

Prelude Therapeutics is a privately held, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company based in Wilmington, DE. Prelude is focused on the discovery and development of small molecule agents targeting novel molecular mechanisms that drive cancer cell growth, survival, and resistance to current treatments. For more information, please visit www.preludetx.com.

About Delaware Prosperity Partnership

Delaware Prosperity Partnership is a nonprofit state economic development agency that leads Delaware’s economic development efforts to attract, grow and retain businesses; to build a stronger entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem; and to support private employers in identifying, recruiting and developing talent in the state of Delaware.

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Delaware: The Small State Big on Innovation

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Delaware: The Small State Big on Innovation

21 OCTOBER, 2019 | KURT FOREMAN | INDIA GLOBAL BUSINESS

Some of the world’s most transformative innovations got their start in Delaware. Centrally located on the East Coast of the US, between Boston and Washington DC, Delaware is known for its global leadership in science, tech and agriculture thanks to the track record of successful Delaware companies such as DuPont, which has operated in the First State for more than 200 years.

Thanks to Delaware Governor John Carney, two new business incentives will ensure that Delaware continues its storied legacy of business friendliness and innovation. The Angel Investor Tax Credit offers a 25 per cent tax break to individual backers who invest a minimum of $10,000 in a qualified Delaware company. Businesses eligible for the incentive must have fewer than 25 employees and engage in innovation as their primary business activity. This tax credit includes and is not limited to energy, food technology, cellulosic ethanol, materials science technology, nanotechnology, biotechnology, medical device products, pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, biologicals, and chemistry.

The New Economy Jobs Tax Credit supports employers that add at least 200 new jobs in the state with an annual salary averaging $70,000, or 50 new jobs with salaries of at least $120,000.

Businesses are choosing Delaware because of its highly respected and trusted corporate law system; its enviable East Coast location, varied talent pool its commitment to diversity and ease of incorporation.

When you combine Delaware’s access to an exceptionally experienced and welcoming talent pool from some of Fortune 500’s most innovative companies, emerging entrepreneurs have the best of both worlds, as well as the wonderful quality of life Delaware has to offer.

Just ask research scientist, Sumedh Surwade, PhD. He joined Fujifilm in New Castle, Delaware after post-doctoral research at the University of Pittsburg and Oak Ridge National Lab.

He founded SAS Nanotechnologies and is developing a potentially transformative innovation – environmentally friendly, self-healing, anti-corrosive coatings. It’s not only a green idea, but it also has implications and applications for everything from aerospace to the marine industry. Industries spend billions annually on repairing or replacing corroded metallic structures; a planet-friendly, self-healing coating would revolutionise industries that use metal.

The brand name for the planet-friendly coating is Shobhation. Surwade and his wife named the coating after his mother, Shobha, a Hindi word that means Grace; they blended the name with the defining super-quality of the coatings “to inhibit corrosion” and came up with Shobhation.

SAS Nanotechnologies not only won top honours at a local chamber of commerce’s 2018 Swim with the Shark’s Entrepreneurial Summit, it also garnered one of the AkzoNobel Paint-the-Future Global Start-Up Challenge Awards in Amsterdam. The competition for this international honour is steep and just getting short-listed is an honour, let alone winning.

With several patents in the review process, Surwade could have started his new company anywhere, but he chose Delaware. Surwade thinks Delaware makes it easier to begin a business than other places he has been. Delaware’s strong talent science and tech talent base gave him the encouragement he needed.

“In my opinion, Delaware is a wonderful place to start a business. It is a welcoming and friendly state with extremely talented people willing to share and support scientists and engineers starting out on their own. The support and guidance SAS Nanotechnologies received has been essential to our success,” said Surwade.

Shobhation is now being reviewed by industry partners and potential customers for feedback. Based on their insights, the product will be further refined, inching closer to commercial launch. As a beneficiary of investment capital, Surwade says angel investor tax credits play an important role for science and tech start-ups. “Angel investment is essential in the early days of capital-intensive research. To complete the journey from innovation to bench, to prototype, to commercial scale, is labour and capital intensive. Angel investors make all the difference.”

Batta Environmental Associates found its way to Delaware through a different route. Company founder Naresh Batta arrived in the US in the mid- ‘70s from India to complete an MS degree in Chemistry at the internationally recognised program at the University of Delaware. He liked what he experienced here, and he decided to form his business Batta Environmental Associates in the university-based town of Newark, Delaware.

Since its inception, Batta has grown steadily both domestically and internationally with work in Mexico, the UAE and India. With a solid presence along the East Coast, Batta’s growth plans include expanding its Environmental Engineering and Consulting Services both state-wide and internationally.

Senior VP Neeraj K. Batta says Delaware is a great and safe place to raise a family with the opportunity to experience everything from exceptional parks, beaches, art and culture, with easy access to just about anywhere.

Although Batta Environmental Associates has not leveraged Delaware’s tax credit, incentives or strategic fund, Batta explains that some of their clients have.

“In fact,” says Batta, “Delaware’s Brownfields Grant and Low-Income Housing Tax Credits from Delaware State Housing Authority have enticed some of our clients to actually locate and build in Delaware.”

Delaware has something for everyone, from small-town charm to metro life, and it is one of the most affordable and accessible places to live along the East Coast of the US.

Kurt Foreman is President and CEO at Delaware Property Partnership.

This article was originally posted on the Delaware Business Times at https://indiaincgroup.com/delaware-the-small-state-big-on-innovation-india-global-business/ 

Kurt Foreman

PRESIDENT & CEO

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Delaware Innovates to Build a Strong Talent Pipeline

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Delaware innovates to build a strong talent pipeline

Pathways program provides training and on-the-job experience for in-demand careers

(Wilmington, Del.) High school students in Delaware are getting a jump start on careers in growing fields including health care, hospitality, advanced manufacturing and biomedical science. The Delaware Pathways program is part of the national Pathways to Prosperity Network aimed at preparing students for a secondary education and careers in high-demand fields.

Formed in 2014, Delaware Pathways was created to help fulfill the Delaware Promise: By 2025, 65% of Delaware’s workforce will have a two- or four-year degrees or professional certificates to match the percentage of Delaware jobs that require them. In Delaware, because employers need middle- and high-skill employees, academic degrees and industry certificates are given equal weight. The program is quickly expanding, in part due to a $2 million, three-year grant from JPMorgan Chase & Co. and a $3.25 million, three-year grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies.

“Pathways couldn’t have come at a better time; talent is top of mind,” said Kurt Foreman, President and CEO of the Delaware Prosperity Partnership, the nonprofit that leads the state’s economic development effort. “Pathways is allowing students to explore career paths that heretofore they may have never thought about or considered. We know that there is demand for these positions. By giving high school students the training in these fields, Delaware is positioning the students and the state for success. This makes Delaware that much more attractive to prospective businesses.”

The first pathway, advanced manufacturing, is “immersive,” said Paul Morris, associate vice president for workforce development and community education at Delaware Technical Community College. “Students come to Delaware Tech every other day,” Morris explained. “The two-year program has 600 hours of training and education.”

In allied health, students can earn credentials that will make them job-ready when they graduate high school. They can become a licensed, certified nursing assistant, a certified phlebotomist and nationally certified patient-care assistant. The program also is a bridge between high school and college. While certain pathways don’t require 600 hours, they let students explore high-demand fields.

Workplace experience is an essential part of the model. In Delaware, 85% of employers surveyed said they were likely or very likely to hire the student they had engaged with for an immersive work-based learning experience.

For more information, delawarepathways.org.

About Delaware Prosperity Partnership
Created in 2017, Delaware Prosperity Partnership (DPP) is a nonprofit, public private partnership that leads the state of Delaware’s economic development efforts to attract, grow and retain businesses.  DPP works with site selectors, commercial developers and business executives focused on where to locate or grow a business. The DPP team’s services include working with prospects to review potential sites, cost-of-living, and funding opportunities, including available tax credits and incentives. For more information, visit www.choosedelaware.com.

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JPMorgan Chase Awards Grant to Delaware Prosperity Partnership to Advance an Inclusive Tech Talent Pipeline

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JPMorgan Chase awards grant to Delaware Prosperity Partnership to advance an inclusive tech talent pipeline

WILMINGTON, Del. — The JPMorgan Chase Foundation has awarded a $205,000 workforce readiness grant to the Delaware Prosperity Partnership (DPP), the state’s lead economic development organization, to create a plan for a more inclusive tech talent pipeline.

The demand for technologists continues to grow, with national forecasters predicting that, by 2020, there will be 1.4 million open positions that require tech skills, but only 400,000 people qualified to fill them.

Delaware, with its robust business and financial services sector, is well suited to respond to the demand. Across the state, eight colleges and universities, 224 public and charter schools, and a $21 million workforce system are poised to equip residents with the skills they need.  In addition, the number of non-degree tech programs (i.e. boot camps and accelerated courses) has grown rapidly in the past few years.

However, despite these programs, there is a need to prepare more residents to enter tech roles and expand opportunities in the sector, especially amongst people of color and individuals from low-income communities.

“Creating a more inclusive tech talent pipeline is critical,” says Kurt Foreman, President and CEO of the DPP. “A diverse workforce leads to diversity of thought, which is key to innovation. We are privileged to serve as convener and connector for this project, which will ensure that Delaware continues to lead the nation as a place to do business.”

This project, funded by JPMorgan Chase, will develop a plan that positions Delaware to meet employers’ tech talent needs over the next decade with homegrown talent from diverse communities across the state, and ensure clear pathways for individuals with barriers to employment or who are historically underrepresented in tech.  The project includes two key elements:

  • A thorough analysis of the current and anticipated tech job market, the supply of qualified applicants, and the current educational and non-profit capacity to meet the demand.
  • A strategic plan to identify how Delaware can address the talent gap that exists and improve the inclusiveness of the pipeline.

“This plan will help position Delaware to retain existing businesses and attract new ones by strengthening the support system that prepares Delaware residents for the jobs of the future,” says Tom Horne, Delaware Market Director at JPMorgan Chase. “We are proud to partner with Delaware Prosperity Partnership to advance career pathways in tech and promote inclusive economic growth across the state.”

DPP will lead the process, working with a statewide advisory committee of key stakeholders and external consultants, conducting the audit of the current tech landscape, and facilitating the development of key strategies to address the identified gaps.

About Delaware Prosperity Partnership
Created in 2017, Delaware Prosperity Partnership (DPP) is a nonprofit, public private partnership that leads the state of Delaware’s economic development efforts to attract, grow and retain businesses.  DPP works with site selectors, commercial developers and business executives focused on where to locate or grow a business. The DPP team’s services include working with prospects to review potential sites, cost-of-living, and funding opportunities, including available tax credits and incentives. For more information, visit www.choosedelaware.com.

About JPMorgan Chase & Co.
JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) is a leading global financial services firm with assets of $2.7 trillion and operations worldwide. The Firm is a leader in investment banking, financial services for consumers and small businesses, commercial banking, financial transaction processing, and asset management. A component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, JPMorgan Chase & Co. serves millions of customers in the United States and many of the world’s most prominent corporate, institutional and government clients under its J.P. Morgan and Chase brands. Information about JPMorgan Chase & Co. is available at www.jpmorganchase.com.

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Agribusiness: An Up-Close Look at Delaware’s Farms

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Agribusiness: An up-close look at Delaware’s farms

7 OCTOBER, 2019

In September, the Delaware Prosperity Partnership (DPP) led its second ag tour, connecting local entrepreneurs and researchers to farmers and other agtech stakeholders to learn from one another and problem solve.

The group started at the Delaware Department of Agriculture (DDA), where they were greeted by Ag Secretary Michael Scuse, then they visited Fifer Orchards in Camden. Bobby Fifer, one of the owner/operators of the farm addressed the group, shared challenges that the farm faces in terms of business and technology and fielded questions from the group. Ed Kee, DPP Board member and former Ag Secretary, also answered questions and spurred on the discussion.

Sec. Kee then led the group to visit farmer Brandon Bonk, who took a break from harvesting corn in one of his fields outside of Frederica to answer questions from the group, ranging from the breadth of technology inside the cab of his combine harvester, to the types of cover crops he uses to seed his fields when not in primary use. Bonk, who farms nearly 5,000 acres with only a modest staff, uses a sophisticated operation to handle the breadth of acreage.

Entrepreneurs and researchers were able to have direct access to farmers and relevant stakeholders to gather information. This is the second farm tour led by DPP, and is part of our organization’s commitment to the AgTech and Ag community in Delaware.

For more information and/or to participate in the next tour (Likely in Spring 2020) email scoulby@choosedelaware.com.

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Q&A with Christina Pellicane, I-Corps Program Administrator

Written on . Posted in Success Stories.

Q&A with Christina Pellicane, I-Corps Program Administrator

7 OCTOBER, 2019

Why do you think the NSF I-Corps is valuable to starts-up in the science and engineering space?

The University of Delaware’s NSF I-Corps Sites provides grants of up to $3,000 and training to support team-based customer discovery research aimed at investigating the commercial viability and societal impact of a novel STEM technology or process.

Typically, academic researchers who begin down the path of commercialization never stop to ask themselves, “Does anyone care about my technology?” or, even more insightfully, “How does my technology solve a real problem in the world today?”

The I-Corps Site program provides a low-risk environment and a structured process to systematically validate (or invalidate!) components of a business model and ultimately determine whether the business has product-market fit.

Not only that, but the I-Corps site program also provides $3,000 in non-dilutive funding to get out of the building and talk to potential customers. This is an opportunity that didn’t exist for entrepreneurs even 10 years ago. If you wanted to start a startup, you had to bootstrap it or find an investor who believed in you. Academics are great at explaining how a technology works but I-Corps teaches them to learn why it’s valuable to customers.

How many train-the-trainer sessions have you conducted so far?

This cohort is our 15th and it’s the first we’ve done in partnership with the NYC Regional Innovation Node (NYCRIN). NYCRIN runs all of their regional programs as a train-the-trainer, which makes this collaboration very exciting. We’ve been able to train 12 fantastic adjuncts who all have experience as startup founders, CEOs, intrapreneurs or investors! Our bench of potential I-Corps Site instructors has dramatically increased this fall.

Having a larger bench of instructors is important for diversity and inclusion (67% of our current adjuncts-in-training are women or underrepresented minorities) as well as our capacity to train even more I-Corps Site teams going forward with highly-qualified entrepreneurship practitioners.

How do we measure the success of I-Corps?

Fail fast. Fail often. Failing isn’t something we usually celebrate at a university but, when it comes to entrepreneurship education, we do.

It’s important that success is measured by learning and not by validating what you thought might be true about your business model. From that lens, success is measured by talking to many potential customers about their pain points, pivoting and iterating and finally building a solution to a problem that the entrepreneur knows exists because they heard it repeatedly and directly from the voice of the customer.

In addition to measuring the number of customer interviews and strength of the business model, success is measured by the number of teams who received follow-on funding. A few of these funding sources are the NSF I-Corps Teams program, VentureWell’s E-Teams program, our Blue Hen Proof of Concept Program and our Summer Founders pre-accelerator program.

We strongly encourage I-Corps Site teams to apply for the national NSF I-Corps Teams grant, which provides a $50,000 grant and a longer, more intense Lean LaunchPad program.

Tell us more about Horn Entrepreneurship & I-Corps:

Horn Entrepreneurship serves as the University of Delaware’s creative engine for entrepreneurship education and advancement. Built and actively supported by successful entrepreneurs and thought leaders, Horn Entrepreneurship empowers aspiring innovators and entrepreneurs as they pursue new ideas for a better world.

Horn Entrepreneurship became an NSF I-Corps site in 2014 with the central aim of serving as an “Ecosystem Catalyst” for the university and the broader region. In the 4+ years post-award, the impacts and outcomes associated with the site suggest that this aim has been accomplished.

The National Science Foundation Innovation Corps (NSF I-Corps) site program provides specialized training and mini grants of up to $3,000 to help teams bridge the gap between academic research and product commercialization, University intellectual property, or any STEM-related technology. This program provides real-world, hands-on learning experience that improve the odds for successful products and processes that benefit society.

The entire Team will engage with industry stakeholders – including customers, partners and competitors. The team will also experience first-hand, the chaos and uncertainty of commercializing innovations and creating ventures.

This course will not teach you how to write a research paper, business plan or NSF grant proposal. It is also not an exercise to prove how smart you are in a lab / classroom, how well you use the research library, or if you can publish a paper. Rather, this course is about “getting out of the building.” You will spend a significant amount of time talking to customers and testing your hypotheses. You should not participate in the I-Corps program if you cannot commit the time to talk to customers.

Referenced webpages:

Blue Hen Proof of Concept Program: https://www.udel.edu/research-innovation/horn/venture-support/blue-hen-poc/

UD I-Corps Site: https://www.udel.edu/research-innovation/horn/venture-support/nsf-i-corps-sites/

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sustainable fish feed

White Dog Labs and Cargill Team up to Offer Sustainable Fish Feed

Written on . Posted in In the News.

White Dog Labs and Cargill team up to offer sustainable fish feed

30 SEPTEMBER, 2019 | DELAWARE BUSINESS TIMES

September 5, 2019 – Cargill, the global agricultural supply company, has entered an agreement with Newark-based White Dog Labs to develop sustainable alternatives to fishmeal in aqua feed.

The deal gives Cargill access to ProTyton, a patented single-cell protein developed by White Dog Labs that is produced by fermentation with corn feedstock.

The protein is set to ship out from White Dog Labs’ demo facility in Sutherland, Nebraska in 2020.

“This agreement underlines our commitment to sustainable aquaculture and discovering new and strategic ingredients that will help feed the world in a safe and responsible way,” said Adriano Marcon, president of Cargill’s aqua nutrition business. “ProTyton offers a good source of protein for fish and shrimp, an affordable feed ingredient for farmers and a sustainable option for the planet that lessens our reliance on fishmeal—which we know to be a finite resource.”

Starting off Cargill will offer ProTyton in salmon feed, with shrimp and other species on the horizon. In trials, salmon fed a diet containing ProTyton™ achieved a growth performance comparable to salmon on a conventional diet.

“We’re honored to partner with Cargill to lead the industry in the application of highly scalable, alternative proteins for aquaculture,” said Bryan Tracy, chief executive officer, White Dog Labs.

The agreement follows another collaboration for White Dog Labs. This summer the firm announced a strategic partnership with InnovaFeed to scale up and jointly market fish feed made with insect protein.

This article was originally posted on the Delaware Business Times at: https://www.delawarebusinesstimes.com/white-dog-labs-sustainable-fish-feed/

Kurt Foreman

PRESIDENT & CEO

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