WASHINGTON, DC – (October 8, 2014) – University City Science Center President & CEO Stephen S. Tang has been selected to serve on the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship (NACIE), U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker announced today. Tang is one of the 27 NACIE members who will advise the Secretary of Commerce on issues related to accelerating innovation, expanding entrepreneurship, and developing a globally competitive workforce. The Council will operate as an independent entity within the Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (OIE), which is housed within the U.S. Commerce Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA).
“Through our ‘Open for Business Agenda,’ the Commerce Department has prioritized supporting entrepreneurs and helping foster innovation, which are key drivers of America’s global competitiveness,” said Secretary Pritzker. “The new NACIE members are a diverse and dynamic group of successful entrepreneurs, innovators, and investors, as well as leaders from nonprofit organizations and academia. I appreciate their willingness to serve our nation on these important issues, and I look forward to working with the Council to advance innovation and cultivate a skilled workforce for today’s 21st century jobs.”
“Innovation does not exist in a vacuum,” Tang notes. “It is an honor and a privilege to serve on NACIE and have input on the strategies that will help innovation and entrepreneurship thrive – and keep our nation competitive on a global scale. I look forward to working with Secretary Pritzker and my fellow NACIE members, including Co-chair James Clements of Clemson and Robert Atkinson of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, with whom I served on the Innovation Advisory Board.”
Dr. Tang became President and CEO of the University City Science Center, the nation’s oldest and largest urban research park, in 2008. He is the first president in the Science Center's history to have not only led a company through venture funding and an initial public offering, but to also serve as a senior executive with a large life sciences company as it acquired and integrated smaller start-ups. Dr. Tang previously led U.S. operations for Olympus America Inc.'s global Life Science businesses. Before joining Olympus, he was president and CEO of Millennium Cell Inc. an energy technology firm he led through its initial public offering. Tang has also had leadership roles with A.T. Kearney Inc. and Gemini Consulting Inc., now known as Cap Gemini. Dr. Tang serves on the Boards of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce and the Committee of Seventy. In 2011, he was appointed to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Innovation Advisory Board.
NACIE’s overarching focus is recommending transformational policies to the Secretary that will help U.S. communities, businesses, and the workforce become more globally competitive. NACIE members, who will serve a two year term, were chosen based on their ability to carry out the objectives of the Council. All of the appointees have demonstrated expertise and experience in the areas of innovation, entrepreneurship, and workforce skills. In reviewing the applications, the Secretary sought individuals who have been nationally recognized leaders in a variety of fields in order to create a balanced point of view, including a representation of different demographics, organization size, industry sector, and geographic regions.
NACIE’s work will be organized into subcommittees around three main focus areas: entrepreneurship, innovation, and job-driven skills training. The full Council will convene four times each year beginning with the first meeting in December 2014. To learn more about NACIE, visit http://www.eda.gov/oie/nacie/.
About the Science Center
The University City Science Center is a dynamic hub for innovation, and entrepreneurship and technology development in the Greater Philadelphia region. It provides business incubation, programming, lab and office facilities, and support services for entrepreneurs, start-ups, and growing and established companies. The Science Center was the first, and remains the largest, urban research park in the United States. Since it was founded in 1963, graduate organizations and current residents of the University City Science Center’s Port business incubators have created more than 15,000 jobs that remain in the Greater Philadelphia region today and contribute more than $9 billion to the regional economy annually. For more information about the Science Center, go to http://www.ucsc2014review.org.
