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Tech Pointe Open House shows impacts of industry, university partnerships
Louisiana Tech University’s Tech Pointe opened its doors to the community Thursday evening to showcase the partnerships and impacts it has created with several high-tech companies that have come to Ruston to work at the “epicenter of innovation in north Louisiana.”
Nearly 250 guests were welcomed by company CEOs, local and state leaders, and university administrators to celebrate the facility and its role in economic development in the region. Company CEOs and representatives also participated in a panel discussion to talk about their collaborations, experiences, and relationships with Louisiana Tech.
“Louisiana Tech has been extremely welcoming and accommodating to my company,” said Karen Gordon, CEO of 5 Dynamics which is now headquartered at Tech Pointe. “Tech Pointe has a magnificent set-up and the university finds ways to be supportive. There is also an amazing amount of talent at Louisiana Tech and an ethical integrity that is embodied by the students.”
Fenway Group CEO Martin Santora said his company came to Louisiana Tech following an introduction to Dr. Les Guice, executive vice president and vice president for research and development at Louisiana Tech. Santora said he was struck by Guice’s vision, the entrepreneurial spirit of Louisiana Tech, and was extremely impressed with the quality of students on the campus.
“We recognized that creating strong collaborative partnerships and new growth opportunities have long been a cornerstone of Louisiana Tech’s research and development efforts,” said Santora. “Fenway Group, through its relationship with Louisiana Tech, has the potential to create significant, positive economic and community impacts throughout north Louisiana, and could go a long way toward retaining high-tech talent to the region.”
Companies and organizations in Tech Pointe include Fenway Group (Dallas, Texas), Radiance Technologies (Huntsville, Ala.), Beyond Vision (Orlando, Fla.), 5 Dynamics (Fairview, Texas), Logic Nation (Shreveport, La.), and the Cyber Innovation Center (Bossier City, La.), and the IC3 Consortium.
“The companies that have made the choice to come to Ruston and partner with Louisiana Tech help to greatly vary the types of business activities that exist on our campus,” said Guice. “Each could have gone anywhere in the country, but they chose north Louisiana because they recognize the talent that Louisiana Tech offers and the significant contributions to workforce development they can make. Additionally, they provide unique opportunities for our students to immerse themselves in a high-tech work environment and gain the professional skills needed to be successful.”
The Open House also highlighted some of the economic and workforce impacts. Tech Pointe has generated 55 new on-site jobs and six million dollars in new economic activity – both of which have exceeded first-year projections.
In addition to the tenant companies, Tech Pointe – the first multi-tenant facility constructed at Louisiana Tech’s research park, Enterprise Campus – is home to the Air Force-funded Cyber Research Laboratory and the Industry Consortium for Innovations in Communications, Information and Cyberspace (IC3) – an organization that works to foster bonds between industry, the university, and government in an effort to support the rapidly growing communications and technology ecosystem now developing around the university’s hub in northern Louisiana.
Nearly 250 guests were welcomed by company CEOs, local and state leaders, and university administrators to celebrate the facility and its role in economic development in the region. Company CEOs and representatives also participated in a panel discussion to talk about their collaborations, experiences, and relationships with Louisiana Tech.
Louisiana Tech Executive Vice President Les Guice addresses guests at Tech Pointe's Open House
“Louisiana Tech has been extremely welcoming and accommodating to my company,” said Karen Gordon, CEO of 5 Dynamics which is now headquartered at Tech Pointe. “Tech Pointe has a magnificent set-up and the university finds ways to be supportive. There is also an amazing amount of talent at Louisiana Tech and an ethical integrity that is embodied by the students.”
Fenway Group CEO Martin Santora said his company came to Louisiana Tech following an introduction to Dr. Les Guice, executive vice president and vice president for research and development at Louisiana Tech. Santora said he was struck by Guice’s vision, the entrepreneurial spirit of Louisiana Tech, and was extremely impressed with the quality of students on the campus.
“We recognized that creating strong collaborative partnerships and new growth opportunities have long been a cornerstone of Louisiana Tech’s research and development efforts,” said Santora. “Fenway Group, through its relationship with Louisiana Tech, has the potential to create significant, positive economic and community impacts throughout north Louisiana, and could go a long way toward retaining high-tech talent to the region.”
Companies and organizations in Tech Pointe include Fenway Group (Dallas, Texas), Radiance Technologies (Huntsville, Ala.), Beyond Vision (Orlando, Fla.), 5 Dynamics (Fairview, Texas), Logic Nation (Shreveport, La.), and the Cyber Innovation Center (Bossier City, La.), and the IC3 Consortium.
“The companies that have made the choice to come to Ruston and partner with Louisiana Tech help to greatly vary the types of business activities that exist on our campus,” said Guice. “Each could have gone anywhere in the country, but they chose north Louisiana because they recognize the talent that Louisiana Tech offers and the significant contributions to workforce development they can make. Additionally, they provide unique opportunities for our students to immerse themselves in a high-tech work environment and gain the professional skills needed to be successful.”
The Open House also highlighted some of the economic and workforce impacts. Tech Pointe has generated 55 new on-site jobs and six million dollars in new economic activity – both of which have exceeded first-year projections.
In addition to the tenant companies, Tech Pointe – the first multi-tenant facility constructed at Louisiana Tech’s research park, Enterprise Campus – is home to the Air Force-funded Cyber Research Laboratory and the Industry Consortium for Innovations in Communications, Information and Cyberspace (IC3) – an organization that works to foster bonds between industry, the university, and government in an effort to support the rapidly growing communications and technology ecosystem now developing around the university’s hub in northern Louisiana.
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