City builds up bioscience, SJSU expects jobs
Therese Bratberg / Daily Opinion Editor
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The bioscience incubator and innovation center is a facility space for small startup companies, located in the Edenvale area of South San Jose. The idea is that these companies will remain in the incubator until they are ready to be on their own, a process that can take anywhere between two and three years.
"It is the intention of the city that the small startup companies that get their start in the incubator will stay in the immediate area as they expand," said Stephan Crothers, the director of biotechnology and biomedical initiatives in the College of Science at SJSU. "It is also hoped that the biotechnology focus of the center will attract established companies into the Edenvale area."
This, in turn, would not only lead to the establishment of more businesses, but it could also generate more job opportunities, something that would be of particular interest to students.
"We are actively seeking ways for the center to provide services and programs of use to SJSU," said Crothers of the project, which is expected to be complete in June.
The bioscience field, which is an area where biotechnology, nanotechnology, medical device and information technology industries converge, will most likely benefit the Colleges of Science, Business and Engineering, he said.
"They're trying to discover things to make our lives easier," said Peggy Flynn, communications director for the agency. "Either it is hair cures for hair growth or the creation of plants that grow in all seasons - there are so many possibilities."
The incubator will provide scientists and entrepreneurs with the technology and equipment necessary to explore innovations in the fields of bioscience.
Crothers said some of the opportunities the 36,594-square-foot incubator might offer include teaching laboratory space at the incubator site, training programs, places for graduate students to have internships or conduct research and opportunities for faculty to extend their research into the development of commercially important products.
David Vossbrink, communications director for the mayor's office, said the idea of the incubator has been developing over the last two years and the project was approved by the agency on Nov. 18. He said the facility will accommodate about 15 small companies and have room for office space, wet and dry laboratories and common space.
The shell of the building already exists in the Edenvale Technology Park, but the interior is under construction, according to James Robbins, a consultant from Business Cluster Development, who has been helping to get the project started.
The pre-existing building is owned by Mission West Properties, but the agency dished out $6 million for design and construction of the incubator, Flynn said. Another $500,000 will be put forward during its first three years of operation - the projected time it will take the incubator to become self-sustaining.
The daily operator of the incubator, who will be in charge of the nonprofit corporation, will most likely be chosen in the spring.
The incubator companies, expected to be located at 5941 Optical Court, will have month-to-month leases and pay below the market rent, according to an article by the Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal.
When they move out of the incubator to be on their own, they will not be alone. Edenvale is home to several other bioscience industry leaders including Clinimetrics, a clinical research company, and Stryker Endoscopy, a medical device company, Flynn said.
"We have other incubators downtown - a software incubator, an environmental and an international business incubator," Flynn said. "San Jose has the name of 'The Capital of Silicon Valley' and is always trying to diversify its economy and be on the forefront of the industry."
Although San Jose has about 1,900 information technology companies and more than 26 bioscience companies, this is the first bioscience incubator in the city, Flynn said.
But this is not the first time SJSU has been involved in similar projects.
Crothers said he believes a software company incubator and an international business incubator are cooperative ventures between the city and SJSU.
"We're working very closely with the College of Science to make sure it's a successful launch," said Flynn. "San Jose State is an integral part of this."
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