"You don't have to live in the same city as your office, and places like Rapid City—with clean air and water and great outdoor opportunities will be more attractive than in the past."
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Since its inception, NCI has won six Phase 1 SBIR/STTR projects (each involving a one-year contract), a U.S. Navy Phase 2 project, and a pending U.S. Army Phase 2 STTR project.
This will be something to be proud of when it's all said and done.
Choosing the Ascent Innovation business incubator was a strategic decision. Its on-campus location would provide Omnitech with access to the School of Mines' talent pool, enabling the company to engage directly with students and pay them to do some work while they were learning the ropes.
The Ascent Innovation campus project is a very large, prominent architectural project — a legacy project, changing the landscape of architecture in Rapid City.
Endlas has found the resources through Elevate Rapid City beneficial to their funding, marketing and overall growth.
Even while spending 13 years as a biomedical imaging specialist servicing medical imaging equipment such as x-ray machines and CT scanners, Will Hansen was continuously searching for an outlet to do his own thing.
“Entrepreneurship is more than just real estate; it’s creating networks and mentors.”
Over 1,000 cubic yards of concrete have been poured at the Ascent Innovation Campus this May, totaling nearly 4 million pounds of concrete total. Despite the rain and the continuing CDC guidelines in regards to COVID-19, trade teams are moving right along with the building's progress.
Being easily accessible to businesses in need is just one of the perks to working at Ascent.
April 2020 brings more snow showers, steel, and a second floor to the new Ascent Innovation Campus building at 108 E. Main Street in Rapid City, SD.
When Black Hills Knowledge Network was formed in 2009, the goal was simple: to empower individuals, organizations, and communities to make smart, informed decisions. Eight years later both the nonprofit organization's activities and name may have changed, but its mission remains the same.
Placing first and third, two businesses at Ascent Innovation have won the Governor's Giant Vision award for their innovation and growth contribution to the South Dakota economy.
Chris has no regrets moving back to Rapid City, and is excited for the area’s future. “It’s definitely going in the right direction!” he says optimistically.
March 2020 brought about an interesting turn of events with the worldwide COVID-19 outbreak. Company policies have been put in place, and work continues at the Ascent Innovation Campus.
The company has filed for several patents with the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology, and currently has plans for around 10 separate product families, several of which are already in the advanced research and development stage and ready to be commercialized.
Without a doubt, Ericka Amborn, Senior Engineer at ARA, counts the collaborative opportunities Ascent Innovation provides as one of the most compelling reasons to take advantage of space in the Center.
Lead DevOps Developer Ryan Quasney has witnessed first hand an increase in job opportunities for graduating students in Rapid City thanks to Ascent Innovation’s focus on promoting technology in western South Dakota.
February in South Dakota can prove challenging. But, the construction team working on Ascent Innovation are breaking the barriers and form is taking shape!
National Veteran Entrepreneurship Non-Profit Expands to Include Rapid City
The real value of being a client at Ascent Innovation lies in the intangibles. Ed Mandy and Andrew Pavek from Freeplaytech explain.
The Ascent Innovation Campus is moving along. With the teamwork between Scull Construction, FMG Engineering, and Albertson Engineering, the foundation, elevator shaft, and backfilling are beginning to take shape.
It was quite a year and 2020 is shaping up to be even better! It's been my distinct privilege to be on this ride with you for the last year and I'm going to continue to do my best to help all of you. Here are a few of our favorite highlights from the past 12 months.
December in South Dakota is always a gamble for weather, but despite an early blizzard, construction is still on schedule and more concrete is getting poured.
With more companies losing exclusive patents on brand name medicines, the door has opened for other companies to make cheaper generic brands, and companies are looking for ways to cut costs while maintaining safe, effective medications. Nanopareil’s technology will make this possible.
Working with Scull Construction and Site Works, FMG Engineering has played a crucial role in soils testing and ensuring the stable foundation of the Ascent Innovation Campus building.
Jim could not be more pleased with the group at Ascent Innovation, touting the strong working relationship they have developed as a key ingredient in Raven's success.
Ascent Innovation Campus will be located at 108 E. Main Street. After a groundbreaking on October 9, 2019 – construction has began! Contractor Scull Construction walks us through the foundational beginnings.
NAI's South Dakota office is primarily responsible for determining how new products will be built in the factory back in New York. In practice, this role requires the Rapid City team to examine each new design and determine what sequence of factory processes are required to build the circuit board.
Rapid City Economic Development Foundation’s branch, Ascent Innovation, is expanding into Rapid City’s downtown district with a celebratory groundbreaking on October 9, 2019.
Located in the Ascent Innovation incubator on campus, their satellite office has been providing student interns with valuable, real-world exposure to innovative projects for the past ten years.
From humble beginnings in a 100-square-foot office space at Ascent Innovation, 7400 Circuits has expanded to a larger 850-square foot office, adding machinery and interns and establishing new goals. It’s clear that the future is looking bright for this niche-focused company.
Beginning as a startup company at Ascent Innovation to becoming the recipients of the Governor’s Giant Vision Award, as well as being listed on the Inc. 500 list of fastest growing private companies in the United States, VRC Metal Systems is here to stay in the Black Hills of South Dakota
“When you are a young business you have to choose where your money is going to go...a space as large as this for as low cost it is allows us to use our resources to do something better.”
NanoCoatings, Inc. was recently awarded a 9-month Air Force Small Business Innovation Research project to develop and demonstrate corrosion-resistant coatings as possible replacement for hard Chrome plating.
Ascent Innovation and local leaders are honored to be awarded a grant by the U.S. Commerce Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) at the amount of $3 million towards the Rapid City Economic Development Foundation’s expansion project of the Ascent Innovation facility.
South Dakota School of Mines & Technology is adding a new undergraduate degree for fall of 2019 – Business Management in Technology.
Internships with companies at Ascent Innovation provide integral learning opportunities for future skill development.
The architects at Strang have composed virtual panaromic assets showing off the future of what's to come
Why Ascent Innovation? Where did the name come from?
Ascent Innovation declares our desire to serve as a hub of innovation, technology, and talent
Ascent Innovation welcomes Nanopareil, LLC’s team to the Innovation Center.
SD Mines Day Slated for Feb. 14 at the Capitol
Ascent Innovation welcomes our newest tenant Omnitech, Inc. to the Rapid City community.
Ascent Innovation’s mission in Rapid City comes to life with an innovator growth, farewell, and welcoming all in one.
We are excited to announce that the Air Force will be hosting the Inaugural Air Force Pitch Day on 6-7 March in New York City, NY.
Different ideas and innovative approaches need support, and that is where Ascent Innovation ignites the growth of start up technology and manufacturing businesses in Rapid City.
STEAM Café is held at 6 p.m. the third Tuesday of each month, at Hay Camp Brewing Company. A food truck will be available at each STEAM Café where patrons can purchase dinner, and handcrafted beer will be available for purchase from Hay Camp.
Ascent Innovation is proud to sponsor the 2018 Business Plan Competition
Classes at South Dakota School of Mines & Technology begin on Monday, Aug. 20, which means students will be taking advantage of countless events and activities in the coming weeks.
NanoCoatings, Inc. receives two Small Business Innovation Research awards
On June 27, 2018, the Rapid City Economic Development Foundation’s branch – Ascent Innovation – unveiled the Rise of Innovation project.
Rapid City Economic Development Foundation’s branch, Ascent Innovation (formerly known as the Black Hills Business Development Center) – is expanding into Rapid City’s downtown district east of 5th Street summer 2018.
Sparking interest with engineers, administrators, marketing teams and leaders – the first-ever Office Olympics were held at the Ascent Innovation Center in Rapid City, South Dakota on Friday, February 9, 2018.
Rapid City Economic Development Foundation’s branch, established in 2006 – the Black Hills Business Development Center – is expanding into Rapid City’s downtown district this summer to establish additional opportunities for innovation growth in western South Dakota.
525 University Loop Rapid City, SD 57701 605.716.0001
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