Oil sands as a component of road pavement could prove a savings for taxpayers and a boon for Uintah Basin industry, according to a recent report released by USTAR.

An economic analysis of the effects of using oil sands in asphalt pavement predicts an overall favorable economic result for private industry as well as for local and state governments. After five years of operation, the report projects that Uintah County could save nearly $45,000 per lane mile of pavement each subsequent year. In a normal year of road paving, that translates to approximately $1 million of potential savings over current operations.

Authored by University of Utah MBA student and USTAR intern Tyler S. Gwilliam, the report complements an overall feasibility study commissioned by the Uintah Transportation and Impact Mitigation Special Service Districts to assess the technical feasibility of incorporating oil sands as a major component in asphalt pavement mixes.

“Oil sands have been used in relatively modest amounts on local roads in Uintah County for more than 80 years,” Al Walker, USTAR Eastern Region technology outreach director, said. “As oil prices continue to increase, the use of oil sands becomes more economically feasible.”

Tyler Gwilliam

The USTAR report analyzes oil sands production, pricing, delivery costs, asphalt composition, and overall cost per “lane mile” of paved road. The report assumes an asphalt pavement composition that includes 39 percent oil sands, a ratio likely to be adopted in a new specification being developed by the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT).

“Increasing the development of oil sands through its use in asphalt paving could help local mining ramp up without a downside impact on net revenue for paving companies,” Gwilliam said. “The analysis points to increased revenues for mining companies, and essentially a status quo revenue level for paving companies.”

“The potential beneficial use of native Utah oil sands could very well translate into substantial revenue streams for local and regional stakeholders. Many rich oil sand deposits are found on School Institutional Trust Lands, and mineral royalties from the responsible use of those minerals as paving material would give lawmakers the means to enhance education without creating additional burdens on taxpayers,” said Dr. Robert Behunin, USU Vice President for Commercialization and Regional Development.

Walker is emphatic that many other hurdles remain before the county can or should incorporate more oil sands in paving operations. “The USTAR report indicates potential benefits but there are a number of technical issues to be solved before moving ahead. The overall feasibility study is examining those other issues. What this study does is say that the economics make sense for all parties.”

A copy of report is available at http://www.utah.gov/ustar/documents/120.pdf

Governance is the system of allocation of and accounting for decisions and actions within organizations.  Attorneys, auditors, CEOs, CFOs, and current or prospective members of boards of directors can take advantage of expert presentations and lively dialogue on the topic of Corporate Governance October 29 from 12:00 to 5:00pm.

The conference will be held at the Officers Club at Fort Douglas on the University of Utah campus, and it is organized by ClearWater Law & Governance, LLC, the U of U’s Technology Venture Development and Technology Commercialization Offices, and Robert C. Gross & Associates.

Attendees will receive a Certificate of Studies in Corporate Governance, and attendee lawyers will receive 4.5 hours credit toward continuing legal education credits.

To enroll, contact Jean Bonnell at jean@tco.utah.edu. The cost is $149 which includes lunch and break. Look for an enrollment page at the U of U Campus Conference Services web site soon.

Utah’s first Renewable Energy Business Summit will be held November 15, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Salt Lake Community College Larry H. Miller Campus, 9750 S. 300 West, in Sandy. The cost to attend is $65.  Those interested in attending can register at the Summit Website at http://business.utah.gov/targeted-industries/targeted-industries-energy/.

Job Creation
Job creation is high on most business agenda’s in today’s economic climate.  The summit has been designed for business leaders and others who are interested in the renewable energy industry. “We have received an overwhelming response from organizations interested in sponsorships, presenting or attending the Summit,” says Samantha Mary Julian of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development.

Renewable energy has been identified as a key component in growing Utah’s economy and the energy cluster is expected to be a significant source of job creation. In fact, focusing on projects that produce renewable energy, such as wind, solar and geothermal, could generate as many as 7,000 jobs in the state by 2020, according to Utah Clean Energy, a nonprofit advocacy group.

Kick Off Events – “Rapid Fire” Business Resource General Session
The Summit will kick off in the morning with two addresses; the first will be presented by Lt. Governor Greg Bell.  He will be followed by keynote address given by David G. Boren, Director of Purchasing, Construction and Services for Gamesa Corporation, which is one of the country’s largest wind equipment and installation companies.

The morning presentations will be followed by a “Rapid Fire” business resource general session,  in which leaders from 20 organizations and state agencies will talk, in five-minute intervals, about the resources available to help propel Utah’s renewable energy-related businesses forward.

Along with 20 organizations, representatives from EDCUtah will explain the economic development support services that are available to Utah businesses.  A Salt Lake Community College (SLCC) representative will talk about the many renewable energy training programs available.

One-of-a-kind Wind Energy Training
In one of the most exciting afternoon breakout tracks, representatives from Great Lakes Wind Network (GLWN), an international supply chain advisory group and network of manufacturers in the wind turbine industry, will provide one of a kind training for Utah’s wind energy manufacturers about the wind manufacturing supply chain.

According to the Wind Network, wind power is one of the fastest growing industries in the U.S. and total U.S. capacity has grown by 45 percent, “with new wind projects accounting for approximately 30 percent of all new power producing capacity added across the country.”

Afternoon Panel Discussions
In addition, the summit’s afternoon sessions will feature a variety of panel discussion/Q&A sessions covering topics such as workforce development and incentives, seeking investors, obtaining financing, and doing business with state and federal agencies as well as utilities.

During the Workforce Development & Incentives panel discussion, Karen Gunn, SLCC assistant vice president and dean of the School of Professional and Economic Development, will report on the work of the Utah Cluster Acceleration Partnership’s (UCAP) energy pilot and the strategies that were developed and submitted to Governor Gary R. Herbert for growing the Utah’s energy cluster. She will also talk about the National Institute for Advanced Energy Training, which is the umbrella structure for all energy-related training provided by SLCC.

Melisa Stark, DWS workforce development grant specialist, will explain the $4.6 million State Energy Sector Partnership Grant received by DWS and the opportunities available for some 1,400 Utah individuals to receive free training in areas such as green construction, alternative fuels, energy management, and renewable energy transmission. Attendees of the Workforce Development & Incentives panel discussion will learn where the training will take place and how they can get involved.

Nate Talley, DWS labor market economist, will also be part of Workforce Development & Incentives panel discussion. His will present preliminary findings from the recent Green Jobs Survey, which DWS conducted as part of the Northern Plains and Rocky Mountain Green Jobs Consortium.

Networking and Exhibitors
Julian also notes that many of the sponsors will have display booths at the summit, to provide attendees with an expansive amount of information to assist in business growth and development. The summit also includes networking opportunities between the various training sessions where individuals and companies working in the industry can share best practices and expand relationships.  (more…)

In conjunction with the 2010 nanoUtah conference held in downtown Salt Lake City, KSL TV ran a story Thursday night highlighting some research taking place at the University of Utah. In addition, the KSL web page includes a 10-minute overview of nanotechnology for the lay audience. Check it out at http://tinyurl.com/2ecnbte

On Sept. 30, 2010, the University of Utah dedicated a new business incubator in Research Park. The 10,000 square foot facility provides shared lab space and high-end equipment for life science start-up businesses. It also provides students the opportunity to work with entrepreneurs for invaluable hands-on experience.

Richard Linder is a member of the USTAR Governing Authority board. USTAR invested $500,000 in the new facility, seeing it as an opportunity to build upon the university’s strength in creating new companies. Linder is president and CEO of Coherex Medical Inc., based in Salt Lake City.

The following summarizes remarks Linder made at the grand opening event.

As someone who is a home-grown Utah-based biomedical device entrepreneur, I was quick to say yes when asked to join the Governing Authority of USTAR. I think what USTAR is doing is a tremendous example of how creative programs within the state can have an impact on university research and entrepreneurism. And it’s a credit to the State for having the vision to do this.

Getting the U of U’s Accelerator up and running has frankly been one of my main goals at USTAR.

Richard Linder

We want to incubate and expand businesses within the state, and we need new creative tools to do that. We need to work with existing researchers at the university, whether they are part of USTAR or not. To really change the economics of starting companies and developing new technologies, we need to make it easier on innovators.

Consider the economics of starting a medical device company. If you take $1 million to start a new medical device company, perhaps $900,000 of that investment goes to things like building a facility, acquiring equipment, and doing things that aren’t necessarily essential in terms of developing the device technology. What we want to do here at the Accelerator is say, “What if we could get down to that last $100,000 and eliminate the need for that first $900,000?” (more…)

More than 200 people attended a ribbon cutting ceremony Thursday, Oct. 7, celebrating the completion of the new USTAR BioInnovations Building at Utah State University. The facility is located in USU’s Innovation Campus in North Logan.

The building will house highly advanced life sciences laboratories, and will provide researchers the resources to seek cures for a range of human and animal diseases. USTAR teams such as the Center for Advanced Nutrition, Veterinary Diagnostics and Infectious Disease, and the Synthetic Bio-Manufacturing Center will be the initial occupants.

The building construction process is being led by Project Managers from the State of Utah Department of Facilities Construction Management (DFCM), Gramoll Construction, AJC Architects and various management and research groups from Utah State University. USU is seeking Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold Certification for the building.

At the ceremony, Governor Gary R. Herbert spoke of his early involvement with USTAR, when he was part of a fact-finding mission to Arizona in 2005 to study how that state conducted technology-based economic development.

The three-year, $60 million construction project is coming in within budget and ahead of schedule, according to Ned Weinshenker, USU VP for Strategic Ventures and Economic Development. (more…)

U of U and USTAR foster innovation and economic growth with new accelerator

Developing new technologies and products just got a lot easier for Utah technology companies.

The University of Utah and the Utah Science and Technology Research Initiative (USTAR) have opened the doors to the Accelerator — a new 10,000-square-foot facility that promises to give budding companies the support, space and equipment needed to develop and refine their technologies and products. The Accelerator is managed by the university’s Technology Commercialization Office (TCO), which helps researchers, faculty and inventors protect their inventions and turn them into viable businesses.

“This is not your typical [business] incubator,” says Brian Cummings, the director of TCO. “Incubators usually just help companies for a limited time and focus on basic business needs like creating a business or marketing plan. The Accelerator goes way beyond that by providing customized services and facilities for medical device and life-science companies to develop rapid prototypes of their medical breakthroughs and begin the clinical process. This is about speed to market and creating the proper environment to succeed.”

The Accelerator opening is the culmination of a long-term strategic vision and funding from the university and USTAR, as well as months of intense planning, construction and equipment purchases. The space consists of offices and labs on the third floor of the TCO at 615 Arapeen Drive, Research Park. The views from the space are enough to inspire any researcher, but it’s what’s inside that is really impressive.

“We’ve created a critical infrastructure,” says Wayne Parris, business manager of the Accelerator and veteran product development manager. “Included are offices, wet and dry lab space, a secure clean room, a mill, precision lathe, laser welder and much more equipment on the way.” (more…)

Public invited to ribbon cutting Oct. 7th

Leading researchers at Utah State University will soon occupy a new, state-of-the-art interdisciplinary research building on the USU Innovation Campus. The USTAR BioInnovations 650 building is nearing completion. A ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 7, at 1:30 p.m., at the building site, 650 E. Grand Avenue, North Logan. The public is welcome.

The 110,000-square-foot facility is designed to foster collaborative relationships among all USU life sciences researchers, industry and other higher education institutions. The university projects an initial occupancy date in December 2010.

The new USU USTAR building is a Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED) Gold designated building. LEED, an internationally recognized green building certification system, was developed by the U.S. Green Building Council. Final LEED certification will be conducted in October once construction is completed. USTAR research has been conducted for the past four years in a neighboring USTAR facility at 620 E. Grand Avenue. The new building will triple the size of the existing USTAR Complex on the Innovation Campus.

Photo by Jared Thayne

The building construction process is being led by Project Managers from the State of Utah Department of Facilities Construction Management (DFCM), Gramoll Construction, AJC Architects and various management and research groups from Utah State University.

“The USTAR initiative has helped focus USU’s research strengths since its inception in 2006,” said USU President Stan L. Albrecht. “USU researchers have been complemented with the recruitment of nationally recognized colleagues. As we continue to bolster our research program in strategic areas, our potential to procure much larger amounts of external funding increases. This building will help catalyze those efforts.”

(more…)