Wet Lab Executive Director Selected

(Baton Rouge, LA / August 16, 2004): Arthur R. Cooper has been named Executive Director of the Louisiana Emerging Technologies Center. Dr. William Jenkins, Chairman of the Board of the LSU System Research & Technology Foundation announced the selection immediately following the Foundation board meeting today.

Cooper was selected during a nationwide search conducted by the Research and Technology Foundation. His experiences with establishing programs for entrepreneurial development, small business support, and technology-based companies, in addition to his background in venture, small business and seed funding were key decision points in the board’s choice for the position. Cooper holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Louisiana State University and a Juris Doctorate from LSU Law School.

Cooper has most recently served as Director of Retention and Assistance for Louisiana Economic Development (LED) where he worked with companies throughout Louisiana to help their business grow. During his tenure at LED, he streamlined the department’s approach to assisting small businesses, established a regional representative network for working with local and regional economic development professionals, and facilitated collaborations between industries and local / state governments.

The Louisiana Emerging Technologies Center (LETC), being constructed on the campus of the LSU Ag Center and LSU A&M in Baton Rouge, is designed to incubate and accelerate the growth of life science, agricultural technology and environmental technology start-up companies. It will provide business incubation services to start-up and early-stage companies requiring wet lab facilities, and will proactively expedite the commercialization of technologies as a means to building a substantive life sciences-based industry in Louisiana.

“The Emerging Technologies Center will focus resources and talents to increase technology transfer from university research, facilitate commercialization, and nurture technology companies”, said Jenkins. “This facility, along with its sister entities in Shreveport and New Orleans, will take advantage of and enhance the synergy of research being conducted in all of Louisiana’s universities.”

“This venture is a perfect example of the partnerships being formed between academia, government and industry by nurturing start-up companies and commercializing technology developed in our state’s universities,” said Cooper. “One of my favorite quotes, although paraphrased, is ‘When the world’s needs and your talents meet, therein lies your vocation’. That’s what this opportunity is for me…it is my dream job. It allows me to use my career experience to help the state I love and the university I love and impact high tech, high paying jobs that will help drive the new economy for Louisiana”

“We all feel strongly that Arthur Cooper is an excellent choice for the leadership of the incubator,” said Paula Jacobi, CEO of the LSU System Research & Technology Foundation. “He brings strategic insight as well as operational talent to the organization. And his personal collaborative style will be an asset as the incubator will work in concert with so many companies and related programs.”

The LETC is part of a statewide network of three Wet Lab Business Incubators / Accelerators funded by the State of Louisiana. The facility will include 50,000 square foot affordable state-of-the-art laboratories, flexible office space, access to business services and a network of business advisors for start-up life science companies. Construction of the LETC incubator is underway and will be completed in the summer of 2005.

Cooper, as Executive Director of LETC, will also interface with the Louisiana Technology Park (LTP) and the Louisiana Business and Technology Center (LBTC) to develop a continuum and network for growing early-stage companies. It will also provide access to LBTC’s counseling services and support teams.