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Home > BizTimes Daily > Archives > February 27, 2007
Whitewater plans to develop business incubator
Published February 27, 2007 - BizTimes Daily
For years, the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater has seen many of its brightest young entrepreneurs go on to develop their businesses outside the city, never to return. That could soon change.
With the recent conclusion of the Whitewater Incubator Feasibility Study, the Wisconsin Innovation Service Center (WISC) and the City of Whitewater have found a high level of interest to build a mixed-use business incubator in Whitewater that could aid in the development of more Whitewater businesses.
"This feasibility study is a necessary first step toward developing a mixed-use business incubator in Whitewater," said City Manager Kevin Brunner. "An incubator should have a great impact on the entrepreneurship and business start-ups in our local economy."
A housing unit that helps entrepreneurs start up their businesses, the mixed-use incubator could give entrepreneurs an opportunity to launch, become established and grow their businesses.
The incubator concept comes after months of surveying the current population of students, staff and faculty at UW-Whitewater and UW-Whitewater alumni who graduated with an IT-related degree and/or currently own a business.
Of those surveyed, 69 percent said they would be interested in a business incubator if one was available in Whitewater.
"There is some urgency to get an incubator up and running and help keep our young entrepreneurs here and have them develop businesses here," Brunner said.
The next steps will be to find a location for the incubator and secure the funding for the project, UW-Whitewater spokeswoman Melissa DiMotto told SBT this morning.
