CBSA's March FOCUS Newsletter Features Covidien's New R&D Innovation Center

FOCUS Newsletter Page 2 Company Spotlight: "Covidien, a leading global provider of healthcare products, recently announced the opening of a 63,000-square-foot state-of-the-art Research & Development (R&D) Innovation Center in Boulder, CO.

In the last five years, Covidien has doubled R&D investments and introduced more than 100 new products. The Company’s goal is to continue to increase R&D spending to 5%-to-6% of sales, as it launches more than 50 products during the next two years. The opening of the Innovation Center in Boulder will be a catalyst for the expansion of R&D capabilities, spurring collaboration and creativity, while decreasing product time-to-market."

Other March FOCUS content includes:

From CBSA President Holli Riebel - Page 1
Medical Device Liability Protection - Page 3
Biotech Pharma Symposium - Page 4
Upcoming Events - Page 5

Link to the March FOCUS Newsletter pdf

Fitzsimons Redevelopment Authority Names New President & CEO

Aurora, CO, March 14, 2012 - Following an extensive national search, Fitzsimons Redevelopment Authority (FRA) has named Steve VanNurden as its new President and Chief Executive Officer, beginning in late May. The announcement is made by John M. Shaw, Chair of the FRA Board of Directors, who said: "Steve, a seasoned leader in the life science/bioscience space, comes to us from Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota."

The appointment of Mr. VanNurden is further evidence of the FRA's continued commitment to support the development of life science companies in Colorado in partnership with the State’s research institutions. He will be working with universities, local economic development agencies, state and local governments, and the bioscience industry to promote the successful development of the 180 acre Colorado Science + Technology Park, which is adjacent to the University of Colorado’s Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora.

Steve Hogan, Mayor of the City of Aurora and FRA Board member stated, “Steve is the partner we need to fulfill the promise of the bioscience industry park. His working relationships span nationally and internationally, which will be a great advantage for us.”

Steve VanNurden is currently Chair of Mayo Clinic Ventures, the invention arm for Mayo Clinic. Under Mr. VanNurden’s direction, this division is responsible for patenting and commercializing Mayo’s discoveries, inventions and other intellectual property. Since 1986, Mayo Clinic Ventures has successfully commercialized over 2,000 technologies and has been granted more than 1,200 patents. Under the guidance of Mr. VanNurden, Mayo’s technology based ventures efforts have paid off, resulting in the formation of 45+ Mayo Clinic start-up companies.

Link to the PitchEngine Social Media Release

Link to the PR Newswire Release

Denver Post YourHub: 'Parker Girl Scout troop helps cat food bank' at Denver's Cat Care Society

Quoting from the Parker, CO, YourHub:

"A Parker Girl Scout Troop’s journey of discovering about animals led to the girls making toys and dropping off supplies for Cat Care Society’s Nibbles & Kibbles Cat Food Bank in [Lakewood].

The food bank serves food and cat litter to cats whose owners cannot provide food and litter because of a temporary financial setback. The 10 girls of Troop 624 made cat toys using socks and catnip and collected food and cat litter.

'We want the girls to understand that not all animals have it as nice as theirs do,' said Mary Tate, troop leader. 'There’s a lot of cats out there that don’t have that and the Cat Care Society really works with people who can’t afford to feed their animals.'"

Photo ID: "Caitlin Tate, in purple, and India Choudhury helped deliver cat supplies and food to Cat Care Society's Nibbles & Kibbles Cat Food Bank (courtesy Mary Tate)."

Link to the posting