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Old Heat CERB Feasibility Study | 39 <br />PHASE 2: INDUSTRY TARGETING AND ECOSYSTEM ACTIVATION <br />Timeline: Q3 2026–Q4 2026 <br />Lead: CWU Business and Community Services, with County, City, and Associate <br />Development Office (ADO) participation. <br />Identify and prioritize target industries with strong potential for high-wage job <br />creation and technology spillovers: <br /> ◦Aerospace and precision component manufacturing <br /> ◦Agricultural technology and smart equipment manufacturing <br /> ◦Advanced materials and clean technology <br /> ◦Software, sensors, and embedded systems <br />• Conduct outreach to firms, founders, and the Directorate for Technology, <br />Innovation and Partnerships (TIP) at the National Science Foundation (NSF), <br />which aims to translate scientific discoveries into tangible solutions for society <br />and the market. <br />• Launch an Innovation Advisory Council to connect CWU faculty and students <br />with both new tenants and existing businesses, ensuring technology diffusion <br />pathways are embedded in every partnership. <br /> <br />PHASE 3: PROGRAMMING, TECHNOLOGY DIFFUSION, AND TALENT <br />PIPELINE DEVELOPMENT <br />Timeline: Q1 2027–Q4 2028 <br />Lead: CWU Business and Community Services + Partner Institutions + New <br />Operating Entity <br />• Establish anchor programs in: <br /> ◦Entrepreneurial bootcamps and cohort-based training for new ventures <br />(launch pad). Technology Diffusion Labs to help existing firms integrate <br />robotics, AI, and advanced manufacturing processes (on-ramp). <br /> ◦Technology Diffusion Labs to help existing firms integrate robotics, AI, <br />and advanced manufacturing processes (on-ramp). <br /> ◦Technical assistance programs: Small Business Innovation Research <br /> ◦Business Technology Transfer support, IP workshops, prototype-to- <br />market training. <br />• Implement student and faculty engagement programs: internships, co-ops, <br />applied research projects tied to Old Heat tenants. <br />• Build workforce upskilling programs that prepare existing workers for roles <br />in accelerative firms, creating career ladders into high-wage industries. <br />• Partner with schools and community colleges to strengthen the STEM <br />pipeline. <br />PHASE 4: ENTERPRISE GROWTH, TECHNOLOGY SPILLOVER, AND <br />REGIONAL SCALE-OUT <br />Timeline: Q3 2028–onward <br />Lead: New Operating Entity + Bowers Field Development Partners <br />• Operate a cohort-based incubator/accelerator at Old Heat, feeding into <br />Bowers Field as companies scale. <br />• Support existing businesses that successfully adopt new technologies to <br />expand into new product lines and markets. <br />• Monitor outcomes for both pathways: <br /> ◦Launch pad metrics: new firm formation, job creation, venture capital <br />attraction. <br /> ◦On-ramp metrics: number of regional firms adopting new technologies, <br />number of workers trained or retrained, measurable wage growth. <br />• Adjust sector targeting and programming to maintain alignment with <br />national and state-levelinnovation trends. <br />Ongoing Coordination and Accountability <br />• A steering committee (CWU, County, City, regional stakeholders) will meet <br />quarterly to oversee both the launch pad and on-ramp functions of Old <br />Heat. <br />• Annual reporting will capture business attraction, job creation, and <br />measurable technology and skills diffusion outcomes. This ensures Old <br />Heat is recognized not only as a business incubator but as a regional <br />platform for economic development.