Austin Community College will host a groundbreaking ceremony for its planned biotechnology commercialization incubator 10 a.m. Thursday, February 4, at ACC Highland.

The highly specialized research facility, called the Advanced Commercialization ACCelerator (ACA), will be constructed in the former Highland Mall building.

When it opens later this year, the facility will serve as an important resource for Central Texas’ growing biomedical industry and address a critical shortage of research space in the region.

“This is an exciting opportunity for our students and our community partners,” says Dr. Richard Rhodes, ACC president and CEO. “ACC has a long history of providing Central Texas industries the workforce and tools they need to prosper. This lab will take that commitment to a new level.”

The ACA will lease wet lab space to companies developing products such as pharmaceuticals and medical devices, and provide education and real-world training to ACC’s biotechnology students.

ACC is the first community college in the state selected to build a wet lab incubator. The state of Texas awarded the college $4.9 million in construction funding through the Texas Emerging Technology Fund (TETF) Research Award Matching program.

For more information about the Advanced Commercialization ACCelerator, contact facility director Dr. Tyler Drake at 512-223-7436 or [email protected]. For information about the groundbreaking, contact Dahlia Anzaldua-Torres at [email protected].

Tags: ACA, advanced commercialization accelerator, wet lab