AR Research & Technology Park

ARTP

Technology-based companies are accounting for a majority of the growth in the "new economy". Moreover, these companies are partnering with research universities for talented people, new knowledge and innovative technology. As the only comprehensive research university in the state of Arkansas, the U of A is recognized both nationally and internationally for its research programs in electronics, photonics, materials research, transportation and logistics, chemistry/biochemistry, food safety, poultry science and geosciences.

The University is well equipped to support the competitive position of firms by enabling companies to produce higher-quality, lower-cost products and implement more efficient processes through the application of University expertise and developed technologies. In addition, the University of Arkansas Technology Development Foundation (UATDF) is able to assist companies in identifying and accessing University of Arkansas faculty expertise and research centers, in order to foster University-industry research partnerships. Personal attention is given to company representatives to assess their technical needs and facilitate linkages to appropriate University of Arkansas resources.


Our Mission

The mission of the University of Arkansas Technology Development Foundation is to stimulate a knowledge-based economy in the state of Arkansas through partnerships that lead to new opportunities for learning and discovery, that build and retain a knowledge-based workforce and that spawn the development of new technologies that enrich the economic base of Arkansas.

APEI, Inc. is a small business based out of Fayetteville, AR with globally recognized leading expertise in the design nd development of silicon-carbide based high temperature power electronics systems. The University of Arkansas has expertise in electronics packaging and has excellent facilities that include a high voltage test facility (the National Center for Reliable Electric Power Transmission) and an electronics packaging research facility (the High Density Electronics Center). APEI, Inc. and UA are currently in negotiations with ROHM for a new phase of this project in which commercial motor drive products will be delivered for all-electric and hybrid vehicles.

National Center for Reliable Electric Power Transmission (NCREPT)

The GENESIS Technology Incubator

GENESIS serves as the entry point for the newest, fledgling technology-based firms under development in the research park. Firms that meet the criteria for entry into GENESIS benefit from a number of support services, such as reduced rent during the crucial start-up period, access to shared front-office services, and assistance with the development of industrial partnerships. In addition, incubator management can facilitate access to the following UA resources:

• Up to 40 specialized research laboratories, including a wind tunnel, industrial automation, soil and water testing, strength and materials analysis, and assistance with nuclear radiation
• University libraries, computers, and research personnel
• Computer training programs
• The Small Business Development Center, located in the Donald W. Reynolds Center of the Walton College of Business

GENESIS management also maintains ties to the Arkansas Science and Technology Authority, the Arkansas Department of Economic Development, Arkansas Capital Corporation, the Small Business Administration, and the Northwest Arkansas Economic Development District.

GENESIS currently houses 11 client start-up companies that lease approximately 20,000 square feet of office and lab space. With the broad-based support provided by the professional management team, incubator clients survive the challenging first two to three years of operation at a rate that is about three times that of the average new company in the open economy.

The Innovation Center

Adjacent to the GENESIS building is the new Innovation Center. This 35,500 square-foot building was the first LEED-certified building in Arkansas due to its forward-thinking environmental design. The Innovation Center was dedicated in a ceremony on October 15, 2004, and signed its first tenant companies on November 1, 2004. The Innovation Center is an ideal location for companies that wish to forge research and development partnerships with the University of Arkansas, other companies, government entities, and local and regional economic development groups.

The Innovation Center provides versatile, reasonably-priced floor space for a variety of tenants that have the potential to form mutually beneficial collaborative relationships. ARTP management is particularly interested in tailoring the offerings at the Innovation Center to meet the needs of: companies that are ready to "graduate" from GENESIS; support-related firms such as capital formation companies; and other technology-intensive firms that desire to locate all or part of their operations in Northwest Arkansas.

The ARTP Campus

The ARTP site is conveniently located near the main campus of the University of Arkansas and the newly re-designed Fayetteville town center. It is easily accessible from Interstate 540, the primary north-south artery connecting the cities of Northwest Arkansas, and from local streets connected to the University and the downtown Fayetteville area.