Sustaining Innovation, Commercialization, and Entrepreneurship to Support the Creation and Retention of Businesses & Jobs in the Commonwealth of Kentucky

Under this proposal, VACE will be focused on leveraging the public/private regional assets discussed throughout this Application and the attached narrative. It is anticipated that through these focused efforts, VACE will continue to improve the Kentucky’s overall ranking in innovation/entrepreneurial indices, as well as those metrics used to measure economic and technological progress, (i.e. patents issued, scientists and engineers in the workforce, etc.). VACE’s EDA funded services, initiatives, and programs will focus on: • Fostering and cultivating innovation throughout Kentucky by providing entrepreneurship focused opportunities and resources to secondary and postsecondary students, university researchers/faculty and Kentucky residents. • Assisting its partners in the development of a high-skilled regional workforce, with special focus on the life/bioscience industries. • Expanding the region’s innovation clusters (e.g. healthcare, life/bioscience, software/mobile app./game development, and environment/energy technologies). • Advancing high-growth entrepreneurship through the commercialization of university research and community innovation.