Karl LaPan, New UF Innovate Director, Plans Continued Growth, Success for Program
Following a record-breaking year of growth for Alachua’s biotechnology industry, the University of Florida’s programs for entrepreneurial incubation and innovation, UF Innovate, has hired a new director of incubation services who’s looking to continue the program’s upward trajectory.
“Clearly the resilience of the biotech sector, that’s going to be important to continue,” said Karl LaPan, who joined UF Innovate in May.
LaPan has more than two decades of experience in business incubation, most recently serving as a president and chief executive for a nonprofit entrepreneurial support organization in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
UF Innovate consists of Alachua’s Sid Martin Biotech and The Hub, a mixed-use incubator in Gainesville’s Innovation District, located between the main UF campus and downtown. The facilities together offer 150,000 square feet of labs, office space, conference rooms and scientific equipment and are home to more than 60 startup and growth companies.
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