The University of Connecticut Tech Park, to be located at the Storrs campus and online in 2015, will focus on developing additive manufacturing techniques that will help the state’s aerospace, defense, bioscience/biotechnology, chemicals, consumer products, electronics and “green” sectors.

The State has already authorized the release of $18 million in bond funds to support the design, site development and infrastructure improvements needed before construction begins. The total project cost is estimated at $172 million.  Within the park, large and small companies from across the region will use the laboratories and develop their own R&D centers, expanding to fill a designated 1.2 million sq. ft. of the 300-acre, environmentally-sustainable research park.

The park will be constructed in phases.  The first building to be completed will consume 125k sq. ft. of space and serve as a home for the Connecticut Collaboratory for Materials & Manufacturing (C2M2).  It will feature state-of-the-art laboratories and highly-specialized instruments and equipment that will be accessible by UConn faculty and distinguished students working with industry engineers and scientists to develop new products and manufacturing innovations. The C2M2 Building will also include space for offices, flexible-use lab space, and a dedicated small business incubator.

Multinational corporations as well as small and medium sized operations that are eager to access the university’s research and innovation capabilities will be able to rent office and lab space as well as  have access to the high tech equipment and facilities.  To gauge interest in this space, a graduate research team comprising students associated with the Connecticut Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CCEI) at UConn is asking manufacturers to complete a confidential survey, which may be found here:

http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22DNEYV4XDX