Greater Philadelphia Innovation Cluster (GPIC)
Emerging Businss Opportunities for Local Companies to help Solve America’s Energy Challenges
There are nearly 5 million commercial buildings in the United States accounting for 40% of America’s total energy consumption.
The U.S. Department of Energy has chosen The Philadelphia Navy Yard campus to function as a “living laboratory” to serve as a test bed for the development and integration of energy efficient building systems. Building 661 will be the first to undergo this transformation.
Greater Philadelphia manufacturers and technology developers have an opportunity to participate in this initiative designed to help advance energy science and engineering in areas such as advanced lighting, HVAC system components, construction materials and power management.
GPIC is a five-year collaboration of more than 90 organizations that have secured nearly $130 million from the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Institute of Standards & Technology Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NIST/MEP) under the U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. Small Business Administration, and the U.S. Economic Development Administration to create and showcase energy-efficient technologies and products for integrated building design. This initiative represents the first time federal, state, and local public and private assets will be shared to create a formal innovation cluster that includes applied research, commercialization, manufacturing, and workforce education.
The mission of GPIC is to research, develop and demonstrate highly efficient building components, systems, and models which are applicable to both retrofit and new construction. This model is intended to help the nation reduce overall building energy consumption by 50 percent in a scalable, repeatable process that can be affordably applied to a broad spectrum of buildings.
Get Started Here
www.gpichub.org/surveys/manufacturers
As a small to mid-sized manufacturer or technology developer in Greater Philadelphia, your first step in tapping into this important national initiative is to complete a short online survey. Completing this survey will help us identify the region’s assets and help keep you aware of opportunities through GPIC as they develop. The results of the survey will be released in summary form, your individual answers will be kept confidential.
GPIC Opportunities
By identifying your company through www.gpichub.org/surveys/manufacturers, you can gain access to:
- Networking & Workshops: Meet with industry peers and experts, potential partners, university resources, and economic and workforce development professionals to share common challenges, and learn about emerging best practices and resources critical to helping your business grow.
And participate in these developing initiatives within the next three years:
- Technology Testing and Demonstration Activities: Building 661 and other buildings at the Navy Yard will undergo a full-spectrum retrofit to become a “living laboratory” – from design through construction, commissioning and operation – for developing the technologies, tools, methods and policies necessary to transform the building industry into a model of energy independence, operating efficiency and economic sustainability.
- Effective Technology Transfer: Intellectual Property (IP) management activities aimed at accelerating commercialization: evaluating patents, referring IP for GPIC proof-of-concept funding, and helping to engage industry and institutional partners.
- Commercialization and Deployment: New business models, technical assistance, and business development services focused on integrating building retrofit design. Respond to GPIC published needs through an RFQ process.
- The GPIC Opportunity Research Fund: $10 million in research dollars intended to foster competitive innovation in the continuum of product development from idea to commercialization for small and medium-sized enterprises.
- Education and Workforce Development: Local initiatives to form a well-educated and highly-trained workforce to support the needs of businesses involved in the many dimensions of energy-efficient buildings.
DOWNLOAD THE GPIC BROCHURE
TAKE THE SURVEY
ATTEND A WORKSHOP
For more information please email gpic@dvirc.org or call Keith Ashlock, VP Operations, DVIRC at 215-552-3800.
