EngenuitySC is a strategic leadership council dedicated to guiding and coordinating initiatives that spur the creation and expansion of knowledge-oriented companies throughout the Columbia, SC region. The original concept for EngenuitySC was created by the Mayor and the City of Columbia Office for Economic Development to carry out the Regional Technology Development Plan. Columbia Mayor Bob Coble and USC President Andrew Sorensen chair the organization. Neil McLean is the Executive Director and Sagacious Partners carries out the management responsibilities for EngenuitySC.

The organization promotes creating high wage, high impact jobs by focusing on the following areas:

• Connecting the research activities of the University of South Carolina and other higher education institutions to the business community
• Creating an environment that supports entrepreneurship
• Developing additional sources of investment capital

Under the management of Neil McLean and Sagacious Partners, EngenuitySC was significantly involved in major accomplishments in FY2005 in the areas of connecting business to higher education and research, creating infrastructure and an environment that supports entrepreneurship, building access to multiple sources of investment capital, and marketing Columbia's entrepreneurial ecosystem. Several of these accomplishments are listed below:

• EngenuitySC served as project manager for the formation and launch of the Next Energy Initiative, an effort led by statewide leaders working to develop a 20 year plan for how the region can capitalize on the $1 Trillion hydrogen and fuel cell economy.
• USC launches Innovista, 5 million square feet of research labs, office space, mixed-use retail and affordable residential housing that illustrates how private interests and institutions of higher learning can work in concert to strengthen the technology base and advance the economic development of a city and region.
• Secured a $400,000 federal grant in FY2005 to be directed towards planning and building commercialization facilities for the Incubator in Columbia's Innovation District.
• Awarded a Congressionally directed federal appropriation of $1 million in FY2006 to assist in the creation of the National Institute of Hydrogen Fuel Cell Commercialization, a non-profit research institute that will engage in applied research and the commercialization of promising discoveries from the University of South Carolina and other research institutions in the state engaged in fuel cell research
• FastTrac, aimed at assisting the aspiring entrepreneur with determining the feasibility of their business ideas, launched in October 2004. EngenuitySC worked with Midlands Technical College and the City of Columbia to train 25 students in multiple sessions this fiscal year and broadened the impact of this initiative by recruiting new facilitators and creating scholarships for at least 12 students.
• EngenuitySC's SBIR committee participates in local effort with USC and the City of Columbia to provide a program of support to increase the number of grant awards from the SBIR/STTR federal program, the largest source for early stage capital in the US.
• Planned and executed EngenuitySC '04 - Annual Business Leadership Conference highlighting where we've been and were we're going to create more high wage, high impact companies in the Columbia region held in August '04.

For more information on EngenuitySC, visit the web site at www.engenuitysc.com or contact Neil McLean at 803.783.1507.