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Arundel Hatches Plan For Tech Incubator
October 4, 2002
By Heather Harlan, Baltimore Business Journal
Anne Arundel Economic Development Corp. is on the prowl for at least 20,000 square feet of space for the county’s first small-business technology incubator.
The real estate search, which follows the selection of the Business Cluster Development Group to launch the incubator, will center on Annapolis, Annapolis Junction, Glen Burnie and the Baltimore/Washington International Airport area.
Some of Ciena Corp.’s surplus space in Linthicum is a strong possibility, said Bill Badger, president and CEO of Anne Arundel Development Corp. As much as 60,000 square feet of space could be required – in the near future – for the incubator, he said.
A final decision on the incubator’s location and size, however, will depend on input from the Business Cluster Development’s leaders.
Business Cluster Development is made up of project manager John Elstner, a venture capital consultant living in Annapolis, as well as principals Jim Robbins and Carol Kraus Lauffer, nationally recognized incubator development experts based in Silicon Valley, California.
In addition to advising the corporation on real estate, Business Cluster Development will help evaluate potential tenants, implement marketing strategies and secure funding. The group has developed 13 incubators across the country.
Slated for a first quarter 2003 opening, Anne Arundel County’s incubator is expected to produce technologybased businesses that will help the area remain a leader, Badger said.
About 11 percent of the county’s economy is still driven by technologyfocused companies, according to the economic development corporation – despite recent industry layoffs.
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