STATE COLLEGE, PA – We’re looking for researchers, entrepreneurs, or innovators working in the shale gas space!  The Ben Franklin Shale Gas Innovation and Commercialization Center, which is focused on the development of environmentally sound processes for the extraction, utilization, and safe transportation of natural gas resources, is offering a total of $50,000 in cash prizes for the two best shale gas-oriented innovations, new product ideas, or service concepts.  In addition to the cash prizes, successful applicants will gain exposure to industry sponsors, investors and partners! 

The categories include: 

• Most Promising Research in a New Technology
• Best New Product or Service

The Shale Gas Innovation Contest, which is co-sponsored by the Marcellus Shale Coalition (www.marcelluscoalition.org), Little Pine Resources (www.littlepineresources.com), Chesapeake Energy (http://www.chesapeake.com), First National Bank (http://www.fnb-online.com)  and Schlumberger (www.slb.com) was initially announced at the MSC Shale Gas Insight 2011 Conference’s Innovation Expo. 

Mr. Bill Hall, the Director of the SGICC remarked, “This contest has really energized our region’s entrepreneurs, small business owners, and researchers to offer up their best concepts related to the shale gas industry. If you have an idea, don’t hesitate to apply. A simple on-line summary is all it takes to get started.”  

To be eligible, applicants cannot have received Ben Franklin funding in the past and must have a presence in, (or plan to re-locate to) one of the following 32 counties served by Ben Franklin Technology Partners/Central and Northern. See http://www.cnp.benfranklin.org for a full listing of eligible counties.

To download an application, visit http://innovationcontest.benfranklin.org .  The deadline for applications is January 30, 2012.

Ben Franklin Venture Investment Forum is sponsoring a seminar entitled “How Patent Reform Impacts Your Small Business” on Thursday, March 1, 2012, from 9:00 till 11:30 AM.  Our speaker is Shawn Leppo of McNees, Wallace and Nurick’s Intellectual Property and Patent group.  His practice includes all aspects of intellectual property law including litigation, licensing and patent prosecution. Shawn assists clients in asserting and defending charges of patent, trademark, and copyright infringement and in conducting due diligence analyses for licensing and acquisition of intellectual property.

Shawn will talk about what is changing with Patent reform and how it will impact small companies, both as it relates to in-house inventions as well as licensing academic research.  This common sense, plain English presentation will enable you to plan ahead to ensure your new technologies are protected.

To accommodate as many people as possible, we will offer this session in videoconference format at multiple locations:

• Harrisburg – Ben Franklin Office
• Reading – Penn State Berks, Thun Library
• State College – Ben Franklin Office
• Erie – Penn State Erie, Erie Hall

The cost for this practical and informative session is $30.00 per person.
 
Go to our ecommerce enabled page to register online. Or click here to download and print the registration.  When you complete your registration, please make note of the location you wish to attend.  There is limited seating at each videoconference location, so register today!

• Be located in the 32 counties served by the program (See http://www.cnp.benfranklin.org for a full listing of eligible counties)
• Have a new, marketable business idea that includes a commercialization plan
• Have no significant sales if a product has already been developed
• Have less than 50 employees if a company has been formed
• Not have received previous Ben Franklin funding. 

Preferred industry sectors include, but are not limited to, nanotechnology, green technologies, alternative energy, advanced manufacturing, advanced materials, medical devices, information technology and software.

Entrepreneurs can visit http://bigidea.benfranklin.org for a complete description of the rules, entry forms, and FAQs. The deadline for applications is February 29, 2012.

Jill Edwards, Executive Director of Ben Franklin’s Venture Investment Forum, commented, “We are very pleased to once again be able to co-sponsor the BIG IDEA Business Plan Contest.  Supporting entrepreneurs and helping them to develop their ideas into a viable business is at the very core of what the Ben Franklin Program has been about for nearly thirty years.” 

“In our eyes, the folks who participate in our contests are all winners in some capacity.  They have the courage to let a panel of strangers evaluate and criticize their idea – and this is often the first step in turning that idea into a business,” said Stephen Brawley/CEO of Ben Franklin Technology Partners/CNP.

On December 13, 2011, the Board of Directors for Ben Franklin Technology Partners/CNP, approved investments totaling $575,000 in four tech-based start-ups located in the program’s 32-county footprint. The Center’s Board also approved a $100,000 investment for one university-based research project involved in developing a method for removing sulfates from acid mine drainage

The Companies That Received a Ben Franklin Investment: 

Located in Centre County, Chromatan Inc., has developed Countercurrent Tangential Chromatography (CTC) – a continuous, scalable, and disposable manufacturing solution for purification of monoclonal antibodies and other biologics. The company’s innovative system replaces expensive chromatography columns typically used in large scale protein purification processes with a cost-effective disposable cascade of tangential flow filters and static mixer modules. For more information about the company, contact Oleg Shinkazh at 617-529-0784.

Eduplanet Inc., located in Cumberland County, has developed a Social Learning Platform, which combines social networking and e-Learning technologies to provide continuing education curriculum. The company’s innovation offers professional development opportunities that are more efficient and cost-effective for budget-strapped school districts. For more information, click on http://www.eduplanet21.com.

In Clarion County, the Clarion Research Group (CRG) received funding to continue its development of bone growth products used in dental and orthopedic applications. Company founder, Dr. James L. Rutkowski, is an expert in the clinical effects of various compounds that improve bone formation. The Ben Franklin investment will help with the continued development of a faster, more predictable method for dental bone grafting and implants. For more information, click on http://www.clarionresearchgroup.com.

Currently located in Mercer County, Anderal Technologies is commercializing a revolutionary innovation related to the forming and shaping of metals called Electrically Assisted Manufacturing (EAM). This technology will enable metal manufacturers to take advantage of a procedure for metal forming that is more predictable and has lower scrap rates. The technology was developed by Dr. John Roth of Penn State, The Behrend College, and is being commercialized under a cooperative arrangement with Penn State University. Successful implementation will have a very significant impact on the industrial base in Pennsylvania as well as the entire United States. For more information, click on http://www.anderaltechnologies.com.

The companies who made presentations were:

• Crimewatch — Developed an internet network specifically designed for law enforcement agencies to enable them to interact with the public through social media and mobile technology in a controlled environment.
• Students to Careers — Designed a system that makes work-based education available to students in charter, cyber charter, and private schools.
• Tyler Golden — Developed a new web development product that provides low-cost webpage and social media management for authors.

The TechCelerator concept, which was developed by Ben Franklin Technology Partners/CNP www.cnp.benfranklin.org and the economic development arm of the Harrisburg Regional Chamber, provides designated, shared workspace and focused business support services in an incubator setting to eligible start-ups for eight-week sessions.

Note:  Applications for the next cohort, which begins in mid-February, are currently being accepted.

For more information on the TechCelerator Program or to apply for future openings, click on http://cnp.benfranklin.org/programs-services/techcelerator or contact Pam Martin at pammartin@cnp.benfranklin.org / 717-249-2356.

• Include an “apples-to-apples” comparison of the technology, costs, and economics related to liquefied natural gas (LNG) and gas-to-liquid technologies (GTL).   
• Analyze the impact of natural gas vehicles and other transportation options on demand for natural gas. 
• Address ethane and natural gas liquid (NGL) supplies from various shale gas basins, including Marcellus. 

Bill Hall, Director of the SGICC comments, “The results of this important study will help Ben Franklin’s SGICC develop the framework to identify new technology-based economic development opportunities related to the shale gas industry in Pennsylvania.”

ADI Analytics LLC is a boutique consulting firm serving oil and gas, chemical, and manufacturing companies.  In addition to its work with Fortune 500 companies, the company has provided management and technical consulting services to start-ups, investors, and government organizations.  With offices in Houston and New Delhi, ADI has assisted its portfolio of clients with market research, investment analysis, feasibility studies, strategic planning, and technology assessments. 

For more information on the company, please visit www.adi-analytics.com  or contact Mr. Uday Turaga at +1.281.506.8234/info@adi-analytics.com.

Television station managers have no shortage of kind words for Lancaster County’s Linear Acoustic Inc.  “We’re really, really pleased with them,” said Keith Blaisdell, director of technology at Harrisburg’s ABC affiliate, WHTM-TV.  “They make a neat product,” said Bob Good, director of operations at WGAL-TV in Lancaster Township, an NBC affiliate. “It’s very effective.”

Linear Acoustic specializes in sound-control technology for television broadcasters. The company offers “end-to-end solutions,” managing sound at every stage from input to transmission, said Christina Carroll, senior vice president of global sales.  It supplies equipment for the Emmy and Oscar broadcasts, the Rose Bowl and the summer and winter Olympics. In January, it won a technical Emmy for real-time audio and metadata processing. Metadata is information that describes the audio signal. Annual revenue is about $7.5 million and growing, Carroll said.  “We definitely own the market in the U.S. There’s no question about that,” she said.  The company hopes to own the world market as well. Overseas sales are a major growth priority, Carroll said.

Among Linear Acoustic’s signature products is the Aero line of transmission loudness management systems.  Television stations broadcast content from dozens of different sources every day, all in different formats, recorded at different loudness levels. Loudness management systems automatically adjust equalization levels, raising and lowering volume to keep overall sound levels consistent from segment to segment and show to show.

A particular problem is commercials. While most programs have a mix of loud and soft sound, many advertisers record their pitches at near-maximum volume from start to finish.  Even if such a commercial is no louder than the loudest noise in the surrounding program, it subjectively seems louder, because of its longer duration.  Loud commercials have been the No. 1 complaint among viewers about broadcast television, according to the Federal Communications Commission, which tracks complaints and publishes quarterly summaries.

Last December, Congress passed and President Barack Obama signed the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation, or Calm, Act. It empowers the FCC to regulate commercials so they are no louder than the average loudness of the surrounding programming.  Under the Calm Act, the FCC must finalize its loudness rules by Dec. 15. One year later, the rules will take on the force of law.  At that point, stations without loudness management systems will be risking federal sanctions, Good said.  “Eventually the FCC’s going to fine stations for loudness,” he said.

Complaints to abc27 about loud commercials largely disappeared after the station installed Linear Acoustic’s equipment, Blaisdell said.  The equipment not only lets stations monitor and manage sound, but also outputs data so they can document their compliance to the FCC, WGAL’s Good said.

A few other manufacturers offer loudness management gear, “but we think Linear Acoustic’s is the best,” Good said.  Linear Acoustic’s Aero boxes also convert sound from one format to another on the fly. In particular, they can “upmix” a two-channel stereo feed to 5.1-channel surround sound.  Miking a live event for surround sound is expensive and technically challenging. In many cases, upmixing provides a viable, cost-effective alternative, Carroll said.  Linear Acoustic makes software versions of its products, Carroll said. More and more, the industry is moving away from racks and patch cables toward servers and Ethernet, she said.  Carroll’s husband and Linear Acoustic’s president is Tim Carroll, a veteran of Dolby Laboratories, the groundbreaking audio technology company. He founded Linear Acoustic in 2002, originally operating out of his New Jersey home.

The company moved to Lancaster in 2004, lured by a $400,000, three-year investment from Ben Franklin Technology Partners, Pennsylvania’s state-sponsored tech incubator, which also provided business mentoring.  “It’s been an excellent relationship,” said Richard Heddleson, director of business development for Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Central and Northern Pennsylvania. He called Linear Acoustic a “storybook example” of Ben Franklin client success.

In 2007, Linear Acoustic merged with Telos Systems, a Cleveland-based maker of audio equipment for radio stations. The Telos Alliance consists of four companies: Telos; Linear Acoustic; Omnia, which makes audio processing equipment; and Axia, which makes broadcast consoles.  Linear Acoustic has 25 full-time staff and four contract workers, Christina Carroll said. Fifteen work out of Lancaster County, where research and development, administration and final product assembly takes place. The rest are based all over the world, Carroll said.  In August, Linear Acoustic moved to 108 Foxshire Drive in Manheim Township, about 2½ miles north of its previous location on North Prince Street in downtown Lancaster.  The standalone building, formerly a Long & Foster real estate office, offers more space and easier parking, Carroll said.

Blaisdell said abc27 is delighted to be using “world-class technology that was designed and produced right here in Central Pennsylvania.”  “They’re doing well,” said WGAL’s Good, who said the station has ongoing dialogue with Linear Acoustic as sound standards continue to evolve.  “I think they’re an up-and-coming company.”

STATE COLLEGE, PA – Sponsored by Ben Franklin’s Shale Gas Innovation and Commercialization Center (SGICC) and Penn State University’s Marcellus Center for Outreach (MCOR), the Shale Gas Innovation Workshop invited researchers, entrepreneurs, and innovators to hear from a distinguished panel of experts regarding the industry’s technical needs and challenges.

The session, which was moderated by Bill Hall, Director of the SGICC, began with a keynote address by Mr. Andrew Paterson, the Executive Vice-President of the Marcellus Shale Coalition, outlining the recent trends in the development of the shale gas industry. He was followed by Mr. Uday Turaga, CEO of ADI Analytics, who presented the results of a study commissioned by the SGICC to define innovation requirements in the evolving development of shale gas as an energy source.

Both Mr. Paterson and Mr. Turaga participated on the panel which also included:

• Tom Moore, Chief Geologist, Exco Resources
• Joe Frantz, VP Engineering, Range Resources
• Pat Findle, Director, Gas Technology Institute
• Colin McHattie, Industry Consultant

The event which was held at the Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel on Friday, November 18, 2011, was not only an opportunity for the attendees to learn more about the shale gas industry’s operational challenges and technology needs, but also created the ideal forum for 18 researchers to present their ideas in three tracks — upstream, right to operate, and monetization. Specific discussions included water treatment solutions that would allow the use of Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) in the fracturing process, the development of more sensitive ultrasonic non-destructive testing tools for down-hole, well bore, and pipeline inspections, the use of natural gas as a transportation fuel, and the design of alternative proppants and fracturing fluids to improve drilling processes.

Bill Hall, Director of Ben Franklin’s SGICC commented, “This workshop was an important step forward in identifying new concepts, opportunities, and challenges in the shale gas industry. The overall goal of the Ben Franklin program is to invest in the most promising ideas in order to further develop and commercialize solutions.”

 About the SGICC

The Ben Franklin Shale Gas Innovation and Commercialization Center (www.sgicc.org) is designed to harness innovation and new technologies as a means to maximize the economic return to Pennsylvania’s citizens from the Marcellus and Utica shale formations.  The Center’s goal is to increase sustainable employment and wealth creation in Pennsylvania that has the potential to outlast the initial exploration, production and transportation of natural gas from the formations.  The Center will also identify, support and commercialize technologies and early-stage businesses that enhance responsible stewardship of the environment while properly utilizing this transformative energy asset. 

This week the Erie-based staff moved from its offices on Tower Lane to 5340 Fryling Road, Suite 202, in Knowledge Park to co-locate with Ben Franklin Technology Partners.  Why Ben Franklin?  In addition to its work with entrepreneurs and start-ups, the Ben Franklin program also invests in small manufacturing companies that need funding to develop a new product or process.  Both programs will now be able to serve their shared clients from an efficient, one-stop shop perspective.

Joining forces under a single roof and mingling the expertise of each staff creates synergies that benefit the clients of both programs while achieving cost savings for Pennsylvania. Steve Brawley, CEO of Ben Franklin said, “This co-location effort between the NWIRC and Ben Franklin represents an innovative approach to achieving the goals of the Commonwealth.  We’re hoping other business support programs will also look at space in Knowledge Park.”

B. J. Lechner, Executive Director of the NWIRC, commented, “Co-locating with Ben Franklin in Knowledge Park is a great opportunity for both programs. It’s a convenient location for all our respective clients, but especially for those who may need the services of the Economic Development Corporation of Erie County, which also has its offices in the Park.”  To contact the NWIRC at their new location, call 898-6893.