Programs

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Initially, NISTAC's programs were focused on strengthening the Manhattan regional economy in Kansas. Since operational startup in 1995, NISTAC made significant contributions to that economy by facilitating:

• The licensing of patented technologies derived from research within Kansas State University (K-State). This has been done under a continuing partnership agreement with the Kansas State University Research Foundation (KSURF) whereby NISTAC serves as the marketing and licensing agent for patented technologies held by KSURF for the benefit of K-State and its researchers.
  
• The acquisition of technologies, primarily unused corporate technologies, from outside the region, to expand the technological base upon which it could perform its mission. In the process of focusing on technology-based economic development for the rural economy in the Manhattan region, it became evident that, even with a land grant research university as one of its asset's, NISTAC's continued success would depend upon accessing additional new technologies, as well as non-traditional sources of capital for start-up companies. This led to NISTAC expanding its licensing programs to include acquired technologies, particularly for commercialization by small, startup companies in its region.
  
• The creation and expansion of new startup, technology-based companies founded to license and commercialize K-State and/or NISTAC-owned technologies. This company creation effort was enhanced by the local support infrastructure created by NISTAC which included:
  
  • Laboratory, pilot plan and office facilities via the Kansas Entrepreneurial Center, a City-supported, technology business incubator;
    
  • Early stage investment capital via Manhattan Holdings, LLC, a regional seed capital investment fund founded with financial investments from KTEC, the City of Manhattan, and the Kansas State University (endowment) Foundation; and
    
  • Management, human resource and financial services via Mid-America Technology Management, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of NISTAC.
    
• The creation of a Mid-America Angel Investor Network of accredited investors, in accordance with the guidelines of the Securities and Exchange Commission, to provide a source of early stage investment capital for regional startup companies.
  
• The creation of graduate intern programs and a new technology entrepreneur track within the MBA degree program of K-State's College of Business Administration. The latter has been developed under the leadership of key faculty and administrators within the College, and is likely to be expanded into other educational and professional development programs, which feature "clinical", hands-on experience in new technology-based ventures.

Through such initiatives, NISTAC is solidly on track to create hundreds of new jobs --- with average annual wages more than twice that of private sector jobs within its regional community. Additionally, these initiatives have attracted a flow of tens of millions of dollars into the community via NISTAC's licensing activities, particularly those enabling regional startup companies to generate funds from private investments and awards under the Federal Government's Small Business innovation Research (SBIR) programs, as well as revenues from product sales.

Progress to date has been sufficient to justify the City of Manhattan's construction of a new NISTAC headquarters and technology business incubator in the new K-State Research Park. Expected to be completed in Fall, 2006, the City owned facility will be managed by NISTAC and include state of the art laboratories, particularly those needed to support research and ventures in the biological and food sciences.