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Mercer's new vision is to make Middle Georgia the Silicon Valley of the South with the introduction with the Mercer Innovation Center.
The center aims to provide a physical space for technology, programming, resources and access to a talent pool, said President Bill Underwood at Tuesday's press event. The 10,000-square-foot facility that will host the center will be located next to Mercer's School of Engineering.
A 14-person advisory board made up of business leaders, entrepreneurs and academicians and chaired by entire Center and provide mentoring and guidance to entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs around the world will also have the opportunity to compete for Mercer's Innovation Fellowship. Winners will receive one year of housing, office space, interns access to all Mercer facilities and $20,000 to fund their business.
The center will offer three levels of membership to the public ranging from $25 to $500 dollars. The center's memberships will allow them to have monthly entrepreneur speaker and a chance to sit in on workshops from Stetson School of Business and Economics faculty.
"Education drives the economy," said Georgia Lt. Governor Casey Cagle "What we celebrate here today is that Mercer University is taking all the resources that you have at your disposal and creating an incubator that will be second to none."
Mercer plans to build new Innovation Center for entreprenuers
President Bill Underwood announces the introduction of Mercer's Innovation Center which he hopes will be become an entrepreneurial hub for downtown
