STAR TEC, USF Join Arms to Grow Tampa Tech Startups

LARGO - STAR Technology Enterprise Center, an innovation and entrepreneurship center and business accelerator for technology businesses, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the University of South Florida to collaborate to support an entrepreneurial ecosystem for technology startups in the Tampa Bay region.

"This is an important agreement that provides for a higher level of partnership in serving the needs of emerging and growing technology entrepreneurs,” says Tonya Elmore, president of STAR TEC Enterprises. "We are pleased to combine the capabilities of both organizations to maximize the value of our resources and have an even greater impact on technology innovation and entrepreneurship.”

STAR TEC, serving early stage manufacturing and technology based companies through its mind to market model that assists them during all stages of the business life cycle, will join with USF’s Tampa Bay Technology Incubator Network and USF CONNECT program, designed to create new technology businesses, develop public/private research and business relationships and support workforce and economic development. Elements of the collaboration include:

• Create/enhance an entrepreneurial support system for local technology startups
• Encourage research collaborations for USF faculty and clients
• Deliver and promote technology entrepreneurship seminars
• Promote and participate in each other’s events
• Provide opportunities for faculty and student assistance to clients
• Extend STAR TEC’s mentorship network to USF’s Incubator Network clients

"This is a logical extension and formalization of the excellent working relationship we have enjoyed with STAR TEC over the years,” says Rod Casto, Ph.D., associate vice president, USF Office of Research and Innovation. "We look forward to having this collaboration achieve great results for technology entrepreneurs in our community.”