Iowa City Area Development Group News

Small Wind Innovation Zone Designation for Parts of Linn County

Wed, 23 May 2012 14:12:15 GMT

Unincorporated Linn County was recently designated a Small Wind Innovation Zone by the Iowa Utilities Board.

The designation allows owners of small wind energy conversion systems (100kW or less) to take advantage of an expedited local approval process and a streamlined interconnection agreement with rate regulated electrical utility providers. The streamlined interconnection agreement makes it easier for homeowners with a small wind turbine to connect to the grid and take advantage of existing programs that may be offered by their utility providers to reduce their monthly energy costs.

Iowa City’s Wind Energy Supply Chain Campus Certified Shovel Ready

Wed, 16 May 2012 16:22:07 GMT

One hundred and seventy-three acres of land on Iowa City’s east side were awarded “Certified Shovel Ready Iowa” status during the Iowa City City Council Meeting on May 15, 2012. Jonathan Gemmen, representing Austin Consulting of Cleveland, Ohio, presented the letter of certification to Iowa City Mayor Matt Hayek.

Gemmen noted in his letter that the industrial park’s proximity to rail, the city’s investment in infrastructure and the city’s growth strategy align this industrial park with the tight project timelines typical of today’s manufacturers.

Read the full story at www.icadgroup.com/news.

Iowa Centers for Enterprise Opens $1M Commercialization GAP Fund

Sat, 12 May 2012 14:14:36 GMT

The Iowa Centers for Enterprise has opened a commercialization fund for University of Iowa researchers interested in pursuing additional data to position their technologies for commercialization and licensing. The fund will be managed by the University of Iowa Research Foundation (UIRF). Read more at www.icadgroup.com/news.

CIVCO Introduces Saturation Biopsy Uropathology Software

Thu, 10 May 2012 14:31:12 GMT

CIVCO Medical Solutions introduces its much-anticipated Saturation Biopsy Uropathology Software, a solution for both the urologist performing prostate saturation biopsy and the pathologist interpreting the pathology of the prostate cancer. Read the full story at www.icadgroup.com/news.

Kirkwood Named One of Iowa's Six STEM Hubs

Mon, 07 May 2012 16:48:30 GMT

Gov. Terry Branstad, Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds and UNI President Ben Allen announced the selection of six regional network hubs that will promote science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education and economic development across Iowa.

This is the first major initiative of the new Governor’s STEM Advisory Council, a public-private partnership whose overarching goal is creating greater student achievement in STEM subjects and a stronger STEM workforce. Read the full story at www.icadgroup.com/news.

ICAD Group Wins State Business Retention and Expansion Award

Fri, 04 May 2012 17:03:42 GMT

The Iowa City Area Development (ICAD) Group was one of four organizations recognized yesterday at the annual state economic development conference for their work with business retention and expansion. ICAD Group received an inaugural BRE award from the Professional Developers of Iowa (PDI). PDI created the BRE award to identify programs and projects that have a significant impact on Iowa communities. ICAD Group won for its overall BRE program. Read the full story at www.icadgroup.com/news.

ACCIONA to Install New Wind Turbines in Cedar County; First in North America

Tue, 01 May 2012 16:07:02 GMT

ACCIONA Windpower announced that it will install two of its AW-3000/116, 3MW wind turbines this year in Cedar County, Iowa. The groundbreaking project, called Pioneer Grove, will be the first installation of the game-changing machine in North America. Read the full story at www.icadgroup.com/news.

CIVCO Medical Solutions Launches iCIVCO App

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 20:33:14 GMT

CIVCO Medical Solutions has launched iCIVCO, a mobile application for iPad and iPhone. iCIVCO was created to give users mobile access to product information, videos and contact information from their mobile device, and iCIVCO is CIVCO’s first mobile application. The app is formatted for viewing on Apple mobile devices and is available for download via the Apple iTunes Store.

Whirlpool Corporation Continues Investment in Amana Facility

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 19:08:52 GMT

The Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance and ICAD Group today announced that through a strong working partnership with Kirkwood Community College, Iowa County and the State of Iowa, Whirlpool Corporation will make investments at its Amana Division to support the ramp up of its built-in refrigerator production line. The Amana facility is a leading producer of freestanding freezer-on-the-bottom refrigerators.

Read the full story at www.icadgroup.com/news.

Johnson County, Iowa, Ranked Third in New Economic Index

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 14:15:39 GMT

Johnson County, Iowa, was ranked third in The “Fourth Economy Community (FEC) Index” released today. The listing ranks the nation’s top 10, small-sized Fourth Economy Communities. This category features counties that are ideally positioned to attract modern investment and managed economic growth. County populations must fall within 100,000 to 150,000 residents.

“The ‘fourth economy’ defines our nation’s current economy, reflecting a combination of the previous three: agrarian, industrial and technological,” said Rich Overmoyer, Fourth Economy President and CEO. “This new index is intended to serve as a dashboard for community stakeholders to gauge their capacity to attract and retain modern investment.”

Mark Nolte, interim ICAD Group president, attributes multiple factors to Johnson County’s success, including the long-term vision of existing industry. “Our annual existing industry interviews show companies are increasing their investment in research and development and introducing new products and services at a rate nearly 20% higher than national norms,” said Nolte. “ICAD Group’s Vision 2030 is concentrated on furthering this culture of innovation.”

Read the full story at www.icadgroup.com/news.