Related Project Experience

China, 2007

Client: United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)
Project: Small- and medium-size enterprise development strategy, Wendeng City, Shandong Province

Mr. Wolfe worked with the International Economic Development Council to develop an economic development strategy for the Wendeng Economic Development Zone (EDZ) industrial park in Wendeng City, China. The project involved in-country visits and interviews with government representatives, private enterprises, investors and service providers (in Weihai City and Shanghai) to assist in the formation and expansion of economic activity in the EDZ. Program recommendations focused on international market development, business formation and expansion through business incubation/acceleration, workforce development, policy reforms and structural (operational and infrastructure) improvements within the EDZ.

United States, 2007

Client: Ben Franklin Partnership Program, Northeastern Tier, Bethlehem, Pa.
Project: Training and discussions on business incubation best practices

Ms. Adkins managed a one-day program of training and discussions with business incubator managers on industry best practices, co-presenting with NBIA board member Joel Wiggins.

Client: BIOSTART, Cincinnati, Ohio
Project: Strategic review and development of sustainability plan

Business Cluster Development conducted a strategic review of BIOSTART’s track record against industry best practices, and developed a sustainability plan designed to help BIOSTART to achieve its vision for the future. Later, BIOSTART engaged BCD to implement a technology partners program, as recommended in the sustainability plan, to develop strategic relationships with more established life science companies for technology commercialization.

Client: Tech Ranch, Montana State University, Bozeman, Mont.
Project: Feasibility study and master plan for strategic growth

Tech Ranch, a technology accelerator located in a technology park adjacent to Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana, sought to expand its operations and economic impact. Business Cluster Development, along with Claggett Wolfe Associates, assisted Tech Ranch in 2007 with a feasibility study and master plan for strategic growth. BCD advised the client on the design of a new incubation facility, new business services and programs for clients, and funding strategies to achieve sustainability.

Client: Arkansas State University Biosciences Institute,
Project: Business plan for technology commercialization and business incubation program

When the Arkansas State University Biosciences Institute sought to take the next step toward its core goal of improving the health of Arkansans by fostering research in health-related biotechnology and agriculture, it contracted with Business Cluster Development to develop the business plan for a technology commercialization and business incubation program. In 2007, BCD designed a business plan for the Arkansas Biosciences Institute–Commercial Innovation Center, which will commercialize technology from the Arkansas Biosciences Institute and Arkansas State University, and spur the spin-out of new technology companies and jobs in the Delta region and the State of Arkansas.

New Zealand, 2006

Client: New Zealand Trade and Enterprise
Project: Evaluation of New Zealand incubators and government support programs

Ms. Adkins reviewed background materials on New Zealand incubators, including NZTE’s government-funded incubators, visited incubators at numerous sites on both the North and South islands, and presented to community groups and to a conference organized by Incubators New Zealand. Ms. Adkins and Mr. Robbins also held numerous meetings in Auckland and Wellington with NZTE officials to address their concerns and provide insights into incubator development, operations and evaluation, and government support programs for incubators. This project resulted in a report for NZTE and recommendations on government program and evaluation issues.

Uganda, 2006

Client: The Rockefeller Foundation
Project: Assess site for and help develop a technology and business incubation center

Business Cluster Development was engaged by the Rockefeller Foundation to visit Uganda, assess a site for a proposed incubator and assist with the development of an agricultural food processing incubator at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda. They determined a viable incubation model and recommended the appropriate role and involvement of the private sector in the development of profitable food processing businesses in Uganda and helped complete an incubator business plan. BCD hosted a Ugandan delegation at the NBIA Conference in St. Louis.

United States, 2005 and 2006

Client: U.S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration
Project: Best practices training and facilitated discussions with U.S. incubator developers and managers (Aurora, Colo., 2005; Providence, R.I., and Philadelphia, Pa., 2006)

Ms. Adkins managed a series of training and facilitated discussion programs for the Economic Development Administration’s regional offices and co-presented with fellow consultant Chuck Wolfe of Claggett Wolfe Associates. The projects involved surveying local incubator managers and grantees regarding issues of concern, and developing and presenting a day-and-a-half program of training and facilitated discussions addressing high-priority concerns. The turnkey training included managing all training logistics, marketing, registration, etc.

South Africa, 2005

Client: Bodibeng Technology Incubator and Godisa Trust, Pretoria
Project: Develop and conduct three-day training on creating and managing technology business incubators to commercialize university-created technologies

Ms. Adkins developed a proposal to conduct three days of training on technology business incubation, university incubators, technology commercialization, bridging university/business cultural gaps and related topics. Following approval of the proposal, Ms. Adkins worked with a team of three other trainers to develop and present the training program to South African tertiary institution representatives, incubator managers and government funding officials.

Bulgaria, 2005

Client: JOBS Project, United Nations Development Programme and the Bulgarian Ministry of Labor and Social Policy
Project: Comprehensive evaluation of JOBS Project business incubators

Ms. Adkins spent one week traveling to numerous sites throughout central and northern Bulgaria visiting business incubators and interviewing management and client companies, conducting a comprehensive evaluation of JOBS incubators and developing recommendations for program improvements. The project resulted in a 30-page written report, including 19 recommendations to JOBS program management and UNIDO to increase program effectiveness and improve client services and impacts.

Europe/Australia, 2005

Client: World Bank
Project: Mid-term evaluation of IDISC Web site and toolkit

As a subcontractor to a Europe- and Australia-based consulting team, Ms. Adkins evaluated a World Bank-funded Web site devoted to incubator development and management and provided a written report including recommendations for improving content, access and usability.

Senegal, 2005

Client: National Council of Negro Women
Project: Business plan for Women’s Business Center

Business Cluster Development assisted with development of a business plan for The Women’s Business Center (WBC) in Saint-Louis, Senegal. The center will serve as a focal point for women-owned enterprises and entrepreneurs to start up and grow their businesses. The incubator will focus on two sectors: (1) textile/fashion/art/crafts (TFAC) and (2) ICT services. In the TFAC sector, strategic access to the global markets via the Internet has the potential to vastly increase sales to higher-margin foreign buyers. The second sector, ICT services, is projected to grow exponentially in Saint-Louis over the next decade, and the WBC will help strategically position women entrepreneurs to enter this market niche while developing their capacity to leverage ICT as a powerful marketing and management tool for their businesses.

Nigeria, 2004

Client: World Bank
Project: Develop sector incubation strategies

Business Cluster Development advised the World Bank on a $10 million project in Nigeria to develop incubation strategies for four different sectors: environmental, food processing, metal fabrication and physical infrastructure development. All of the strategies focused on the formation of new private sector businesses.

United States, 2004

Client: San Jose Redevelopment Agency
Project: Develop a bioscience sector

Business Cluster Development developed the vision and strategy to utilize incubation to help create a bioscience sector in San Jose, California. BCD recommended a focus on the convergence of bioscience, medical technology and information technology drawing upon the information technology expertise in Silicon Valley and the significant biotechnology activity closer to San Francisco--and prepared the incubator business plan. In the next phase of the project, the Redevelopment Agency retained BCD to assist with the development of the San Jose BioCenter, the first bioscience incubator with wet lab space in California. BCD worked with a private real estate developer who partnered with the SJRDA to complete the development. In addition, BCD advised the client on a management structure and recruited a team to manage the incubator. The San Jose BioCenter officially opened its 32,000 SF facility in August 2004, providing the first wet lab incubator in California.

Bulgaria, 2003

Client: JOBS Project, United Nations Development Programme and the Bulgarian Ministry of Labor and Social Policy
Project: Conference presentation and facilitated discussions with JOBS Project business incubator managers on their concerns

The consultant spent two days consulting with JOBS Project incubator managers addressing their concerns related to problem companies, client selection and graduation critieria, client monitoring, utilization of incubator services, promoting clients, incubator evaluation, reporting activities and other topics. A written report addressed the concerns of incubator managers and provided recommendations. Ms. Adkins also presented at a conference for Bulgarian national and local government officials.

Bahrain, 2003-2005

Client: Private investment group
Project: Bahrain technology park and incubator market assessment and business plan

Mr. Wolfe served on a global consulting team involved in preparing a business and implementation plan for a public/private initiative in the Kingdom of Bahrain to develop a technology park and incubation program. The focus of the project was to provide jobs opportunities to Bahraini nationals, expand the current economic base through the development and growth of targeted technology clusters, and stimulate the formation and growth of technology focused SMEs. Mr. Wolfe’s involvement included analyzing Gulf Cooperation Council and global market opportunities, providing guidance for global best practices in technology park and incubator development, supporting the evaluation of structured financing alternatives to support project development, and adapting SME and multi-national corporate development programs to conform to the cultural and religious environment within the Kingdom of Bahrain. Once completed, Mr. Wolfe was involved in developing the business and implementation plan for the project, and in preparing financial pro formas and projected returns for two project scenarios to be presented to investor groups.

Saudi Arabia, 2002

Client: Private U.S. corporation
Project: Technology business incubator feasibility study

Mr. Wolfe served as a subcontractor to NBIA to assist a private U.S. corporation in assessing the feasibility of a technology business incubator program in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The assessment included in-country interviews with various representatives from government ministries, academic institutions in Riyadh and the Eastern Province, Saudi Aramco, business assistance organizations, and private businesses to better understand the climate for SME development in the KSA. Ms. Adkins served as project manager.

Kuwait, 2001–2002

Client: Public Authority for Applied Education and Training
Project: Business incubator feasibility study and entrepreneurial training center

Ms. Adkins managed a project for the State of Kuwait, working with Chuck Wolfe of Claggett Wolfe Associates, to implement a work plan to assess the market demand for an incubator and entrepreneurial training center in Kuwait City. The project also involved designing a program and developing a plan suitable for developing a successful project. In analyzing the market for the incubator and training program, the project team also assessed the potential for developing several model enterprises under this program’s aegis and preparing them to be spun out into the community.

United States, 2001

Client: Maryland Technology Development Corp.
Project: Develop best practices for technology incubation

Ms. Adkins served as project manager to develop a best practices guide for incubator management, working with Chuck Wolfe of Claggett Wolfe Associates and Ohio University faculty. Work involved an assessment of national and international best practices and the identification and review of innovative models for incubation of emerging technology ventures. NBIA subsequently published a book based on the project. In addition to developing the manual and report, Ms. Adkins consulted with TEDCO staff and met several times with Maryland incubator managers to provide advice addressing their areas of concern.

Japan, 2000-2005

Client: Japanese External Trade Organization, Ministry of the Economy, Trade and Industry
Project: Training, consultation and report writing

Over a period of five years, Ms. Adkins managed numerous training programs for JETRO both in Japan and in the United States for Japanese incubator managers. During this period Ms. Adkins also researched and wrote a best practices guide geared specifically to the needs of Japanese incubator managers and a history of business incubation that also addressed issues related to incubator evaluation, for-profit business incubation, and opportunities for U.S./Japan incubator collaboration. These documents were translated into Japanese for wide distribution to that nation’s incubator managers and developers and government supporters. Additionally, she met frequently with JETRO officials both in the United States and Japan to provide advice and counsel.

China, 1999-2002

Client: FLAME, the Chinese incubation agency
Project: Environmental consulting

Mr. Robbins made three trips to China and visited incubators in Wuhan, Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Shanghai to discuss development and deployment of environmental technology to and from China. Formal environmental technology exchange partnerships were developed in Wuhan and Guangzhou, and Mr. Robbins hosted the first incubation delegation from mainland China to NBIA's International Conference in Chicago.