Seeking to expand innovation and boost startups in the Upstate, the South Carolina Research Authority celebrated the opening of its newest office at the Greenville ONE Center July 9.
Charged with fostering research and innovation among the state’s leading universities in collaboration with existing companies and startups, SCRA is expanding its footprint in the Upstate where most of its portfolio companies are based, according to president and CEO Bob Quinn.
“We see this space not only as a workplace for our staff, but a meeting and collision place to ensure that great things happen within this environment which is right for business growth,” Quinn said.
The new office will also house staff from SC Launch Inc., SCRA’s investment affiliate, which was started in 2006 to foster technology and knowledge-based companies.
Within the Greenville office, member and portfolio companies will have access to conference rooms and collaborative meeting spaces free of charge.
These amenities are part of SCRA’s recently announced Member Benefits program, which also includes discounts on services like health insurance, web and database expertise, legal and accounting services.
SCRA’s efforts are focused in four key economic sectors:
- Advanced manufacturing and materials
- Information technology
- Life sciences
- Clean technology, sustainability and resilience
Highlighting the Upstate’s role in the state’s innovation economy, earlier in July SCRA awarded Greenville-based ThreatCaptain LLC a $50,000 acceleration grant and welcomed Greenville’s Treblehook LLC as a member company.
For more information, visit scra.org.
SCRA 2023 snapshot
In 2023, SCRA:
- Contributed $1.2 billion to the state’s economy
- Supported 5,825 jobs with an average salary of more than $91,000
- Contributed $4.8 million in funding to member and portfolio companies and academic institutions
- Owned or managed 1.4 million square feet of lab, office and collaboration space
Source: SCRA 2023 Annual Report
