Is the future of Rhode Island employment in microgreens? Or is it in super-fast, quantum computers, innovative new materials or promising cancer treatments?
How does the state weed through multiple proposals for funds to help grow young companies, and identify the ones most likely to yield high-growth, high-salaried jobs that will remain in Rhode Island and not be transferred to more-mature, innovation-oriented cities, such as Boston and San Francisco?
Using bond proceeds approved by voters in 2016 to provide seed money for the creation of an innovation district, state officials are trying to strengthen the economy and the state’s capacity to grow new companies.
The Innovation Campus Rhode Island, intentionally designed as a competition, has entered the vetting phase. Sixteen applicants, all partnering by requirement with the University of Rhode Island, are being reviewed by R.I. Commerce Corp.
A committee recently appointed by Gov. Gina M. Raimondo will determine how many projects ultimately receive funds from the state, based on a requirement that they provide at least the same amount in a private match. The state has a $20 million fund, provided by the bond proceeds.
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PRIORITIZING IDEAS: Pete Rumsey, director of the Rhode Island Innovation Campus initiative, says when it comes to selecting among the 16 applications received as part of its request for proposals, the state’s “complete bias is toward the most brilliant idea or proposal,” rather than favoring a specific location. / PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO[/caption]
The goal is to create a campus, or campuses, in the state that will foster collaboration and commercialization of university-involved research and create jobs and industries that can help pull the Rhode Island economy forward.
Those who have been involved in innovation centers or districts say the design must follow some pragmatic planning. It isn’t enough to pick the proposals that represent high-growth industries.
A growing startup will need employees as it expands in Rhode Island, and if the local workforce isn’t there, it would be a challenge for them to stay, said Tobias Stapleton, outgoing director of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship.
“One of the cautions is you have to have something that is sustainable,” said Stapleton, who will become dean of graduate studies at Salve Regina University in July. “You have to develop companies that are sustainable within the region. Software companies … it’s challenging. Once they scale, they need those employees with coding skills that we may or may not be able to get within our indigenous market.”
Because the Rhode Island innovation campus is going to be affiliated by design with URI, it also must find a way to incorporate the faculty and students into its work.
“You don’t have to necessarily be on campus, but you need to figure out how you are going to connect to the faculty and the students on campus and actually engage them,” he said.
For all the challenges, in other areas of the country where innovation districts have become established, people working at companies with seemingly disparate missions often find they have common interests in resolving shared problems. Being located near each other will allow for shared resources, where appropriate. In some cases, depending on the design, the centers allow companies to share access to expensive equipment, lab facilities or just social networks.
This is what makes the Rhode Island innovation campus exciting, says Christian Cowan, director of the nonprofit Polaris MEP, a manufacturing-industry resource affiliated with the URI Research Foundation.
“The concept of these shared spaces for technology is one that exists in other places in the United States and has been very successful in technology acceleration for both the startup companies and larger, established companies as well,” Cowan said. “The technology impact on manufacturing and other industries is dramatic right now. It’s certainly advantageous for these companies to have support in researching new technologies where they can’t afford to do so today.”
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INNOVATIVE MINDS: Pete Rumsey, center, director of the Rhode Island Innovation Campus initiative, meets with Executive Office of Commerce staff Nicholas Autiello, left, special adviser, and Ian Chin, policy adviser, at the R.I. Commerce Corp. offices in Providence. / PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO[/caption]
Pete Rumsey, director of the Rhode Island Innovation Campus initiative, oversees the work of the committee, which will recommend its findings to the Commerce RI board. The review and selection of proposals is expected to extend through the summer.
“Good news is there were 16 of them,” Rumsey said of the proposals. “Bad news is there were 16 of them. It is a lot of information and there was quite a span there. They’re all very different.”
The 16 applications submitted to the state as part of its request for proposal generally fall into five major groupings, Rumsey said. All have been identified as high-growth, high-wage industries that Rhode Island should target for investment, according to a Brookings Institution report conducted for the state in 2016.
They include the following industries: internet of things; cybersecurity; biotechnology; ocean sciences; food technologies; advanced manufacturing; and renewable energy.
These, along with maritime and defense, information technology, neuroscience and financial technology, were identified in the innovation campus RFP as key industries for consideration.
By design, the state wanted to create a process that would encourage smaller investments, as well as larger prospects.
“We didn’t want to necessarily preclude someone with a brilliant idea from bringing it to the table,” Rumsey said.
Geographically, the proposals identify locations in several areas of the state. Rumsey said the state will not favor any location. “Our complete bias is toward what is the most brilliant idea or proposal, and then tell us what the correct location is for it,” he said.
Below are some of the proposals being considered.
INTERNET OF THINGS/CYBERSECURITY
• One of the projects that includes the participation of universities beyond URI would involve a partnership between Arizona State University and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, a leading research institution in Israel. Called the ASU-Rhode Island Innovation Center, the focus would be on teaching and research in cybersecurity, data analytics and the “internet of things,” according to an overview released by Commerce RI.
The project seeks a $6 million commitment. It would involve a 7,500-square-foot hub at a URI property that would engage in cybersecurity research and seed funding for startups. Arizona State has projected the Rhode Island Innovation Campus to contribute $115 million and 1,000 jobs to the Ocean State economy in its first two years.
Ji Mi Choi, an ASU associate vice president, said the collaboration would focus on improving education and workforce development, and include a space for public programs.
According to the proposal, the partnership would offer joint undergraduate courses, as well as graduate degrees, professional certifications and courses taught simultaneously in Rhode Island and Arizona, as well as other locations.
‘[What] if we were able to have courses taught by ASU and URI?’
JI MI CHOI, ASU associate vice president
“[What] if we were able to have courses taught by ASU and URI?” she asked. “There is an archaic model where the best classes come from those where we can have the best in-house resident expertise. Instead of us competing, to hire away the best faculty at URI, why don’t we just offer a course with the best faculty at URI?”
• In another effort that has identified Ben-Gurion University, Brown University has proposed a multipartner collaboration that would draw in MassChallenge and the IBM Alpha Zone. IBM Alpha Zone operates a top accelerator in Israel, while MassChallenge, based in Boston, is a nonprofit accelerator expanding globally.
The Rhode Island Innovation Hub, or iHub, would create an accelerator space that would allow innovative ideas to move toward fruition. The team has proposed a 5,000-square-foot facility in Providence’s Jewelry District. It seeks $4.5 million in state funds and has proposed more than $14 million in matching funds.
Daniel Behr, executive director of the Office of Industry Engagement and Commercial Venturing at Brown, said the project would expand the pipeline of innovations that haven’t yet found commercial backing.
“The whole genesis of what we ended up proposing had to do with our assessment of what would be really helpful to build an innovation economy, or innovation hub, in this area,” Behr said. “One of the things that is missing is space for collisions to happen, between researchers, companies, entrepreneurs, startups and a place where ideas can actually be pushed forward toward commercial endpoints, in the form of projects or startups.”
The partners estimate 100 to 200 startups could be provided coaching, mentoring and space over 10 years.
The concept differs from the innovation center to be operated by the Cambridge Innovation Center that has already been announced as a tenant on the emerging Wexford Science & Technology campus in Providence, he said.
“You’ve got the beginning of somewhere where there may not even be funding yet. It could be a company, but it isn’t funded yet,” Behr said, of the iHub target market. “CIC is really more for companies that have enough funding to pay the pretty hefty fees to live in an innovation center. These accelerators [MassChallenge and IBM Alpha Zone] do not charge anything.”
DATA ANALYTICS
• A proposal that would create a quantum computing center and startup incubator in Newport is a submission by the Entanglement Innovation Institute and the city.
The Quantum and Alternative Computing Center would provide a physical framework for companies and universities to leverage super-fast, quantum computers that would lend itself to multiple industries, according to the sponsors.
The proposed site, next to Naval Station Newport, is on city-owned property. The partners are seeking $12 million from the state and propose to leverage that with private investments of $120 million, according to project participants. Newport would provide the location for the building, which would allow participants to share time on quantum computers.
“It doesn’t exist anywhere else in the world,” said Jason Turner, chairman of the Entanglement Research Institute Inc., which operates in Newport. “If you think of research on college campuses, they’re very siloed. What is unique about what we’re doing at URI is we’re testing a method to bring researchers, community, equipment and hardware together in a first-ever facility.”
BIOTECHNOLOGY
• BioInnovation Labs LLC and Wexford Science & Technology LLC are proposing to create an innovation campus in the Interstate 195 Redevelopment District of Providence. BioLabs, which operates a shared biological lab space in Cambridge, Mass., and Wexford, which has already started building an innovation center in Providence, are seeking $9.9 million from the state to establish a biological lab as part of a second phase of development.
The location, within the I-195 district, will allow collaboration between Brown, URI, Lifespan Corp. and Rhode Island School of Design. It also will create new high-value innovation jobs and advance the state’s innovation clusters, the executive summary states.
OCEAN SCIENCES
• Fabien Cousteau, grandson of the famed oceanographer Jacques Cousteau, has proposed a partnership with the URI Graduate School of Oceanography.
The Fabien Cousteau Ocean Learning Center, which is based in New York, would also collaborate with Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems, according to the proposal.
Called Project Proteus, it would focus on the fields of oceanography, engineering and climate science.
According to the executive summary, the Ocean Learning Center has executed nondisclosure agreements with several partners and has had months of meetings and conferences.
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SCIENCE CENTER: University of Rhode Island’s Narragansett Bay campus is the home of the Ocean Science & Exploration Center and the Inner Space Center. From left, Kyle Sidlik, media production, and Holly Morin, marine biologist and education specialist, in the Inner Space Center. / PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO[/caption]
While the cumulative total for the public portion was not identified in the executive summary provided to the media, the partners have proposed a $3 million upgrade to the Inner Space Center at the URI Narragansett Bay campus, as well as $564,500 in upgrades to the shared Electronics Development Lab.
FOOD TECHNOLOGIES
• An Exeter-based farm, Farming Turtles, is proposing a URI-based enterprise that would create a 3-acre indoor growing facility and support building for growing microgreens, a healthy, leafy vegetable. The project, called the Farming Turtles Greenhouse Innovation Campus, would be on land adjacent to the university, potentially at Peckham Farm.
The company seeks a $3.7 million portion of the innovation bond and plans to pair this with $3.5 million in a loan and $300,000 from the company principals. If the Peckham Farm site is not feasible, the proponents suggest placing the project on their 22-acre Geremia Farms.
Microgreens are a fast-growing, highly nutritious vegetable, harvested within 14 days of germination. The goals of the farming strategy are consistent with the goals of the URI Sustainable Agriculture and Food Safety program, according to the executive summary.
The goal of the project is to create a business by leveraging the intellectual capital of URI that would be sustainable, while providing economic opportunities for state residents.
• Rhode Island Ag Technologies, a partnership that includes the Rhode Island Mushroom Co., also proposes to develop an innovation center in food technologies.
This proposal requests a 59-acre location at Peckham Farm, to include 20 acres for growing vegetables, 7.5 acres for growing mushrooms, 5 acres for seed development and 1.5 acres for genomic research in plant and fungi.
The project cost is estimated at $115 million. The employment is estimated at 274 people.
MANUFACTURING
• An affiliate of Johnson & Johnson, which already has a presence in Providence, has proposed a Healthcare Innovation Campus in Rhode Island, which would allow it to partner with institutions that include Brown, RISD and URI.
According to the public overview, the proposal by DePuy Synthes Products Inc. would allow the affiliate of J&J to develop patient-centered innovations that would “decentralize the health care service model,” allowing patients to receive high-quality care delivered anywhere, including a patient’s workplace or home, through new technologies.
Robotics, artificial intelligence, genomics and virtual reality are among the applications, according to the executive summary.
The publicly released materials did not identify a requested amount in public funds or the private match.
RENEWABLE ENERGY
• A project called the URI Microgrid Innovation Campus would create a clean-energy microgrid at URI’s South Kingstown campus, and an advanced control center at a nearby location. The project proposes a sustainable energy system to allow the university to meet resilience and sustainability goals, according to the executive summary.
The partnership is led by Anbaric Development Partners LLC, a Massachusetts-based company.
IDEAS FOR INNOVATION
Rhode Island received 16 proposals for the state-supported Innovation Campus, from small businesses and large firms alike. Each proposal will be vetted by state employees and an innovation committee, before a recommendation is made on which should be funded using a $20 million state bond. They include:
1. ASU-Rhode Island Innovation Center, major partners are Arizona State University and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel. This plan would focus on teaching and research in cybersecurity, data analytics and the internet of things. The project seeks $6 million. Location not specified.
2. Cyber Securing Operations and Training Center, major partners are IBM Security, Infralinx Capital and Samach + CEO. This would create a $10 million to $16 million cybersecurity operation and training center. The partners do not seek state funds for the first phase but would seek repayment through state leases in a second phase of development. Initial location is the URI campus in South Kingstown.
3. Peace Dale Design Center and Workforce Training Initiative, major partners are EFI/Optitex and Solielle Design and Studio, with additional partners of Accurate Services Inc. and Palisades Mill. This would create an on-demand apparel micro-factory using digitally printed fabrics. The amount of the state funds requested is not specified. The location is the Peace Dale village of South Kingstown.
4. Rhode Island Innovation Campus, major partners are RISD, Tiffany & Co. and Saint-Gobain S.A. This project would create a center for collaborative applied materials research and innovation. The partners do not identify the amount sought in state funds. The location is Providence near RISD.
5. Rhode Island CAR-T Design and Development Center, major partners are Roger Williams Medical Center, Sorrento Therapeutics and PureTech Health. The project would create an innovation hub for development of promising cancer therapies. The public funds requested were not specified. The location is not identified.
6. The Rhode Island Innovation Hub, or iHub, major partners are Brown University, MassChallenge and IBM Alpha Zone. This would create an innovation accelerator space aimed at mentoring 10 startups a year. The partners seek $4.5 million. Location would be Jewelry District of Providence.
7. The Quantum and Alternative Computing Center, major partners are city of Newport, the Entanglement Research Institute Inc. The idea is development of a world-class quantum computing center. The partners seek $12 million in state funds. The location is Newport.
8. BioLabs, a product of BioInnovation Labs LLC and Wexford Science & Technology LLC, who want to establish a biological laboratory in the Interstate 195 district, as part of a second phase of development for the Wexford campus. The partners seek $9.9 million. The location is Providence.
9. Project Proteus, major partners are The Fabien Cousteau Ocean Learning Center and Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems. The proposal would engage in research, public education and product development in the fields of oceanography, engineering and climate science. The partners seek $3.6 million in facility upgrades to the URI Narragansett Bay campus and $4 million in additional funds for expenses. The location is Narragansett.
10. The Farming Turtles Greenhouse Innovation Campus, major partners are Exeter-based Geremia Farms and URI. The proposal involves converting farmland to the growing of microgreens in a 3-acre indoor growing facility. The partners seek $3.7 million in state funds and the use of Peckham Farm at URI. Location is South Kingstown, or alternately in Exeter at Geremia Farms.
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Peckham Farm at URI. / PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO[/caption]
11. Rhode Island Ag Technologies, major partners are the Rhode Island Mushroom Co., American Ag Energy and Verinomics. The proposal would create an agricultural research and production site on 59 acres at Peckham Farm. The partners seek $11.5 million in state funds. The location is South Kingstown.
12. Healthcare Innovation Campus, major partners are DePuy Synthes Products Inc. and Brown University, Rhode Island School of Design and URI. The proposal would create a health and patient-centered innovation space for development of new services and technologies. The funds requested were not disclosed. The location was not specified.
13. URI Microgrid Innovation Campus, major partners include Anbaric Development Partners LLC, TxGrid 1 LLC, Schneider Electric and Intersection. This would create a clean-energy microgrid at URI’s campus in South Kingstown, and an advanced control center at a nearby location. The amount of public funds requested was not disclosed. The location would be the URI campus, or nearby in South Kingstown.
14. Slingshot Accelerator Space, major partners are Loft LLC and URI. An innovation and accelerator space for both hardware and software products. The amount of public funds was not identified, nor was the proposed location.
15. The Advanced Materials Innovation Center for Design and Manufacturing, major partners include the Rhode Island Marine Trades Association, the Rhode Island Textile Innovation Network and Polaris MEP. Idea is an innovation campus and maker space with nodes at several universities and a collision space for shared programs. The partners seek $3.4 million from the state. The location is not specified.
16. Center for Advancing a Circular Economy, major partners SphereE, Smart Game Systems Inc., WishKnish Inc. Proposal would offer experiential engagement and education and research. Team seeks $5 million in state funds. The location is not identified.
Correction: A previous version of this story misidentified Solielle Design Studio and omitted EFI/Optitex from a proposal description.
