Catalyst Innovation Accelerator

ABI Laboratory

Steps away from research faculty, equipment, and facilities in the Arkansas State University College of Business and Departments of Computer Science, Chemistry & Physics, Biology, Agriculture, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Nursing.

61510 300 #960000

Arkansas BioSciences Institute (ABI)

Direct access to the ASU BioSciences Institute (ABI): 80,000 square feet on the Arkansas State University campus with expertise and resources in the areas of agriculture and disease, molecular innovations in food science, plant metabolic engineering, and plant-based protein production.

1010 350 #240F0F

Catalyst Conference Room

More than 9,000 square feet of combined laboratory and office space, including 18 flexible laboratories with three different floor plans ranging from 105 to 425 square feet, 10 executive offices ranging from 140 to 215 square feet, and newly renovated conference and reception areas.

1010 300 #011563

Business Service Resources

1010 300 #002E12

Greenhouse

Secure, climate controlled greenhouse space enables year-round use.

10170 300 #004507

Plant Growth Room

ABI, under the same roof as Catalyst, offers convenient opportunities for collaboration and use of an array of advanced, specialized research equipment.

615150 300 #000A3B

The city of Jonesboro is the commercial, medical and educational hub for the greater northeast Arkansas region. There are many indicators of Jonesboro’s consistently strong economic activity and growth. In 2010, Forbes magazine rated Jonesboro among the top 50 small cities in the United States for business and careers. From 2000-2010, Jonesboro showed an increase in population of 21%, which is among the highest average growth rates in the United States for that period.

The Delta Center for Economic Development is a 22,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art facility on the ASU campus adjacent to the College of Business that includes offices, conference rooms and an executive board room dedicated to fostering education and entrepreneurship.

Catalyst, a program of the ASU Research & Development Institute, received seed funding from the U.S. Small Business Administration and the Economic Development Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce. Catalyst will seek out and serve as a hub for interactions between ASU and the regional business community in order to encourage collaborative innovation, entrepreneurship, and commercialization between the private and public sectors.

Introducing: Catalyst Innovation Accelerator

Business Plan Competition and Catalyst Innovation Award – Fall 2012

This competition is open to all students (undergraduate & graduate) enrolled at Arkansas State University. You do not have
to be a business major to enter the business plan competition. For example, engineering or molecular biology students can
and should pair up with business students to have the benefit of all of those skill sets. All you really need is a great and
innovative idea and be able to write it down in no more than two (2) pages. Click here for the flyer>> | Click here for the competition guidelines>>

The ASU Research & Development Institute (RDI), Northeast Arkansas Business Community, Arkansas State University, the Arkansas BioSciences Institute, the Delta Center for Economic Development, U.S. Small Business Administration and the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration are collaborating to institute the Catalyst Innovation Accelerator program. Catalyst offers business services, executive office suites and conference space, and state-of-the-art laboratory facilities to new and growing science and innovation based ventures.

Catayst is located inside the Arkansas BioSciences Institute facility on the Arkansas State University (ASU) campus in Jonesboro. It marks another exciting step in efforts to foster innovation-based economic development, with an ultimate goal of creating opportunities that will develop and retain the most talented among our region’s students and workforce.

The Catalyst Innovation Accelerator was made possible by funding from the U.S. Economic Development Administration and the U.S. Small Business Administration.