La.-Miss. partnering biz entities

Four business entities from Louisiana and Mississippi, including the Marine Industries Science and Technology Cluster, will partner to promote entrepreneurism in the first ‘Gulf Coast Pitch Night’ in Gulfport, Miss., on Oct. 17. The Small Business Innovation Research Consortium, Louisiana Technology Transfer Office, MIS&T Cluster, and Innovate Mississippi will co-host the event at the scenic Great Southern Club in Gulfport. The collaboration is designed to strengthen the entrepreneurial ecosystem across state lines. “The pitch competition will showcase tech talent, provide business-to-business networking, and allow entrepreneurs to meet investors in a social setting,” SBIRC chairman Andy McCandless told The Acadiana Advocate. “This is just the beginning of tech sector growth throughout the South.” In recent years, Louisiana’s economy has grown steadily in digital media and biosciences. Mississippi has seen growth in the aerospace and marine sciences’ industry. Initiatives have evolved with incubators and college technology transfer offices; and investment groups have emerged to support startups. Targeted tax incentives, like Louisiana’s Research and Development Tax Credit, have helped leverage private sector efforts, as well as public-private hubs like the Stennis Space Center in south Mississippi. (Source: Acadiana Advocate 09/20/18)