Athens, Ga. – A new partnership between the Georgia BioBusiness Center, the University of Georgia’s bioscience incubator, and the for-profit technology incubator Four Athens, will provide new resources to entrepreneurs and early-stage companies in Athens.
The partnership is part of an ongoing effort within UGA and the Athens area to increase innovation and entrepreneurship, and foster a healthy and vibrant economy in the region.
Four Athens will offer free seminars and classes on campus in conjunction with UGA departments, student groups and faculty. They will also promote UGA’s technology-based business resources, including Venture Lab, SBIR/STTR programs, and opportunities for intellectual property development.
Under the partnership, GBBC will provide Four Athens with campus space for events involving UGA students, faculty and staff, as well as the opportunity to publicize Four Athens events on campus. In addition, GBBC commits to promote the entrepreneurial mission and resources of Four Athens to UGA students, faculty and staff.
“This partnership is another step in the right direction for the digital, creative and technological industries in Athens,” said Margaret Wagner Dahl, associate provost for economic development and director of the Georgia BioBusiness Center.
Jim Flannery, project director for Four Athens, added, “Four Athens is excited to partner with UGA Economic Development and the Georgia BioBusiness Center to promote the mission of providing support, mentorship and guidance to early-stage companies in Athens-Clarke County.”
The Georgia BioBusiness Center works with indigenous and recruited start-up bioscience companies with research and technology ties to UGA to encourage the commercialization of faculty, staff and student discoveries in the fields of medicine, agriculture, bioinformatics and environmental science.
Four Athens is a technology incubator focused on helping companies grow through mentorship, community and support. It leverages the power of local business leaders, entrepreneurs and community leaders to assist startups without having to leave Athens.
For more information on Four Athens see, www.fourathens.com/. For more information on the Georgia BioBusiness Center see, www.ovpr.uga.edu/gbbc/.
