The Hudson Valley Venture Hub (HVVH) is committed to nurturing innovation and collaboration within academic communities. Recently, the HVVH team participated in an enlightening trip to Atlanta as part of the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Engaging Partnerships in Innovation and Inclusive Capacity (EPIIC) initiative. Having won NSF’s EPIIC preliminary proposal, the 3 team members, the Director of the Hudson Valley Venture Hub, the Dean of the School of Business, and the Interim Dean of the School of Science and Engineering were invited down to Atlanta to workshop their proposal and meet other teams (innovation hubs and universities) that had similar growth challenges. The EPIIC training provided needed space and opportunities for academic institutions to find common ground when it comes to expanding capacity to work with external partners and innovation.

The workshops designed for this trip aimed to immerse participants from various academic institutions in collaborative thinking processes on how they could all expand institutional capacity to be economic development leaders in their respective geographies and through their university.

“This was one of the best workshops and conferences I have ever attended” says Eliza Edge, Director of the Hudson Valley Venture Hub. Not only did we meet partners at institutions similar to ours - that are trying to make an impact on our local economies and be known as a “center of gravity”, regionally - but we’re now all going to collaborate on our final proposal to NSF. The workshop made us envision a path to securing NSF funding to continue the meaningful work we do for our community.” 

The SUNY New Paltz team ended up pairing with 3 other universities: Shawnee State University, University of Michigan at Flint, and University of Colorado at Pueblo. Below is a photo of the team in Atlanta. And fingers crossed over the next few months that we’re able to achieve a successful joint and separate EPIIC application. 

The experience in Atlanta has sparked excitement about the potential for expanded participation in innovation ecosystems. By engaging in programs like NSF EPIIC, HVVH seeks to empower institutions with limited research capacity to become active contributors to the U.S. research and innovation enterprise. Together, the goal is to build a future where inclusive innovation ecosystems thrive, driving technological advancements that benefit all members of society.

Written by Lorena Marron, Senior Marketing Research Aide at the Hudson Valley Venture Hub. Undergraduate student at  SUNY New Paltz, majoring in Marketing and International Business.