May 21 -Conferenza Stampa

• Today, I participated in an agreement between Universita degli Studi dell'Aquila and a venture capital group for a program entitled 10 - six power, or 1 million euro to develope a venture fund for the technologies developed at the university. Participating were Ferdinando di Orio, Rector, Roberto Marotta Presidente della Fondazione Carispaq, Paola Inverardi ( Science Faculty), Maria Dominca Di Benedetto (Director of DEWS), Ruggero Frezza (Presidente M31), Marco Agostini (Vice President Vertis SGR), Alberto Vincentelli of Cal Berkley and myself. The announcement was to formalize the establishment of the venture capital fund for L'Aquila companies. I will be working with faculty and administrators to develop a mechanism to encourage entrepreneurship and technology commercialization of university technologies. We had a very stimulating meeting and press conference and a working lunch following the meetings. I met a long lost relative, Marco Agostini from Naples who has a venture fund called Vertis. He is very interested in what we are doing in Louisiana and I will send him information on our Research Park and incubators including Louisiana Fund 1.