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West Virginia Inventors Society
MAGGIE HATFIELD
A Collaboration to Improve West
Virginia ’ s Economy
KENSIE HAMILTON FAUBER
Inventors and entrepreneurs have the chance to meet and collaborate all under one roof thanks to the partnership of the West Virginia Regional Technology Park ( WVRTP ), the Robert C . Byrd Institute ( RCBI ) at Marshall University and West Virginia Executive magazine . The West Virginia Inventors Society ( WVIS ) was launched in April 2022 at an inaugural meeting in South Charleston .
This event was meant to set the stage for a meeting of the minds and give inventors the opportunity to network and secure investors .
“ The West Virginia Regional Technology Park team was pleased to provide a venue on our campus for the meetings of the WVIS ,” says Jordan Ferrell , director of communications and park programs at WVRTP . “ Engaging our community in the innovation , science and technology happening at the tech park campus is important to me . We have a history of innovation at WVRTP , with over 30,000 patented inventions developed on our campus . There is no better location for inventors to meet and collaborate .”
The idea all came to fruition when RCBI realized that inventors and entrepreneurs were looking for an outlet to come together .
“ Linwood Hamilton is an accomplished inventor who RCBI works with closely to deliver engineering and manufacturing assistance ,” says Mike Friel , director of communications for RCBI . “ When he approached us with the idea of establishing the WVIS , we welcomed the opportunity to be part of this new organization . Many of our clients are inventors , so we recognized the role such a group could play in connecting inventors to resources and to one another .”
Derek Scarbro , deputy director and director of business development for RCBI , believes this event will act as a catalyst to keep the entrepreneurial spirit alive in the Mountain State .
“ Not only will individual entrepreneurs benefit from discussing their ideas with others , but they will be able to form partnerships and business relationships to help commercialize their ideas ,” Scarbro says . “ We expect participants will gain insight , technical assistance and traditional business matchmaking to help bring their ideas to life .”
Friel is hopeful that future WVIS events will evolve organically and move in a way that will benefit all parties involved .
“ Private sector inventors should dictate the direction of the organization , whether they are first-time or established ,” he says . “ At the very least , we hope the society will provide a forum in which people feel comfortable sharing and vetting their ideas and providing honest feedback about the ideas of others . In addition , we want the WVIS to provide access to the resources people need to develop these ideas and bring them to market .”
As an engineer at RCBI and a founding member of the WVIS , Jerry Jefferson believes the society is using collaboration and innovation to solve problems , while the members of the WVIS are setting aside competition to grow the economy .
“ Modern technology allows us to circumvent barriers that have hindered collaboration in the past ,” says Jefferson . “ In today ’ s world , it is becoming easier to communicate matters of a technical nature . The tools we use to share information are allowing engineers to collaborate much more efficiently and accurately . I believe the WVIS should be a collection of visionaries , even those that compete with one another , that are dedicated to advancing innovation . These advances will foster growth in manufacturing and the associated industries .”
Looking toward the future , Friel is optimistic the formation of the WVIS will help create more jobs in West Virginia .
“ I think the future of WVIS will depend a lot on the synergy that is inevitable when you gather creative people who are passionate about their ideas in one room . I predict this organization will spawn new inventions , new businesses and mutually beneficial collaborations . Our goal is to create an environment where that can happen ,” Friel says .
More than 55 inventors , aspiring entrepreneurs and service providers from across the state attended the inaugural event in April . •
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WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE