The Penn State Behrend community will be able to work with students, faculty and staff from other Erie County universities through the Northwest Pennsylvania Beehive Network. Behrend, in collaboration with Edinboro University, Mercyhurst University and Gannon University, announced on Oct 9 that a $400,000 grant was secured in order to seed the Beehive. Each school will have their own entrepreneurial or “beehive” labs that will focus on different parts of product or business development.

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Half of the grant is from the Appalachian Regional Commission, and the other half is matching funds through the Ignite Erie Industry+University Business Acceleration Collaborative. Ignite Erie was launched in late 2013 by the Erie County Gaming Revenue Authority (ECGRA) in order to help drive entrepreneurship in the Erie area. Some of their goals are to, “create jobs, renew inner-city neighborhoods, inspire partnerships that serve entrepreneurs, leverage private investments, and ignite Erie’s entrepreneurial spirit.” In order to receive funding, more than one of the Ignite Erie member institutions must be involved with the project.

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The Innovation Commons at Penn State Behrend was the prototype for the Beehive. It opened in 2016 and has not only given students a learning tool, but has also been available for people in the community to use. The students employed there are able to help with early-stage product design, computer-aided drafting, electrical component design, no-cost 3D printing of prototypes, laser cutting and engraving, and 3D scanning. According to a news release, more than 50 projects have been assisted. The Innovation Commons also offers support on a business end. Now through the Beehive, those seeking assistance will have a wide variety of experts to consult throughout the county.

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“When you look at the number of students graduating and the faculty expertise, to leverage all of that into kind of a standalone but also integrated system means that all of those rise together,” Amy Bridger, the senior director of corporate strategy and external relations at Behrend, told GoErie.com. “We’re leveraging the strengths of all four universities. We’re also coordinating in our efforts.”

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Penn State Behrend is working as the coordinator of the Beehive and specializes in engineering. Each of the universities has a unique role in the Beehive.

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Edinboro University’s lab will focus on marketing. The university has a strong communication department and web and graphic design programs. Their lab will bring in undergraduate students, but the grant money secured through the Beehive Network will also be used to help cover graduate assistantships. The lab will be located in Edinboro University’s Baron-Forness Library.

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Mercyhurst University is home to a top-notch intelligence program. This will allow the university to help businesses commercialize their ideas through the use of high-end computers, plotters and other tools within the Ridge College of Intelligence Studies to develop custom-made intelligence products. The university is also known for their “Quickstarter” program, which has helped many businesses develop their products and take full advantage of rewards-based crowdfunding. Quickstarter is also funded through the ECGRA.

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“Small business development is really the engine that drives commerce in cities our size,” said Steve Mauro, Gannon’s vice president for academic administration, in an interview with GoErie.com. Gannon University will put forth their business expertise into the Beehive Network. Their lab will focus on business development and analysis. Gannon’s Small Business Development Center and Erie Technology Incubator will also be accessible. The lab will be located in the Center for Business Ingenuity.

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The Northwest Pennsylvania Beehive Network is expected to help build entrepreneurship in the Erie region and foster a community of collaboration between the Erie County universities. The labs at the other universities are expected to be open within three to six months.