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Delco KIZ Companies Receive Support from Villanova and Widener Interns

CHESTER —Two Delaware County Keystone Innovation Zone (KIZ) companies are working with interns from Villanova and Widener through a U. S. Department of Labor – Employment and Training Administration grant. Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania administers the funding under the Manufacturing Technology Internship Program.

“The goal of the project is to offer students enrolled in Pennsylvania universities and colleges an opportunity to learn about 21st century manufacturing employment opportunities by working with cutting-edge manufacturers.” said RoseAnn B. Rosenthal, President and CEO of BFTP/SEP.

Under the requirements of the program, companies which hire the interns receive up to $3,000 in reimbursement for salaries paid. The average length of the internship is 14 weeks or about 560 hours of work for mission critical projects for PA based companies with les than 250 employees.

Live Event Media hired three Villanova Mechanical Engineering (ME) undergraduates for the Summer 2007 to work on converting a complex prototype to a product that can be manufactured. One of the interns is funded through this program. The product is the Wavecam™ . Wavecam is a proprietary, patent pending aerial, mobile robotic camera technology for the sports and entertainment markets. Live Event Media LLC, located just off campus at Villanova, produces the Wavecam™; suite of products and services which include: Wavecam™; Wavecam Scoreboard™; WCSN™; (Wavecam Sports Network); LEMEN™; (Live Event Media Entertainment Network); Wavecam Yearbook™ ; Wavecam Prospect™; and Wavecam Fansite™

V-System Composites hired a Widener Chemical Engineering (ChE) undergraduate student for the Summer 2007 to assist in the development of design and analysis tools for advanced composite materials. Currently, the primary goal for these composite materials, which are composed of a woven textile pre-form impregnated with a polymer resin, is to provide strong, lightweight components for the aerospace industry. However, before they can be put into operation, extensive testing and analysis must be performed to accurately predict their mechanical properties, and ensure safe operation under realistic environment and loading. V System Composites, located at University Technology Park, is a U.S. small business supplier of affordable engineered composite solutions. Parent company DR Technologies serves the space, missile defense, military and commercial aerospace markets, as well as emerging markets including lightweight composite electronic enclosures and multifunctional integrated composite armor.

Since 1982, Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania has served as a catalyst for stimulating entrepreneurial potential by developing systems to accelerate the transition of scientific discovery and technology development to commercialization. Part of a statewide network in Pennsylvania, BFTP/SEP provides entrepreneurs and established businesses the capital, knowledge and networks they need to compete in the global marketplace. BFTP/SEP has provided more than $130 million to over 1,600 regional enterprises. BFTP/SEP is a founding partner of the Nanotechnology Institute (NTI) and the Mid-Atlantic Nanotechnology Alliance (MANA®), and is funded by Pennsylvania’s Department of Community and Economic Development. For additional information, visit www.sep.benfranklin.org.

The Delaware County KIZ program was established in May 2006 as a state-designated area for the encouragement of innovative thinking, creativity and technology transfer through strong local partnerships and resources. Villanova University and Widener University are the host institutions of higher education for the Delaware County KIZ which assists local entrepreneurs, start-up companies, and progressive businesses with implementing an innovative idea from start to finish.

The Delaware County KIZ facilitates partnerships between community players, economic development organizations and education institutions which provide clients with local resources and services for development, innovation, and growth that will enable emerging companies to move forward with developing and commercializing their products and processes. Equally as important, the Delaware County KIZ is a catalyst to partner emerging tech-based companies with Widener University and Villanova University.

To find out more about the Delaware County KIZ, call (610) 499-7534 or visit www.delcokiz.org.