Events

Participants with Governor Earl Ray Tomblin

The 2016 Innovation & Entrepreneurship Day at the Capitol, hosted by TechConnect West Virginia and TransTech Energy Business Development on January 27, showcased highlights of the State’s innovation economy.

From exhibits of “Google Cardboard” featuring virtual reality, to Azimuth’s sophisticated technology that supports our military, to fittings manufactured by Walhonde Tool that are used in nuclear submarines, the event demonstrated that the innovation economy in West Virginia is not just a concept–it’s a reality!  Our industries are creating new jobs and growing our economy.

TechConnect West Virginia thanks Governor Earl Ray Tomblin for taking time to greet the group and present a Proclamation honoring “Innovation & Entrepreneurship Day.”  Also, we thank House Speaker Tim Armstead for honoring Innovation & Entrepreneurship Day with a special Citation and recognizing our group on the floor of the Chamber.   We also thank Secretary of State Natalie Tennant for welcoming us to the Capitol and greeting the group. To all of the legislators who stopped by the exhibits, thank you!

We were delighted to be joined by the South Charleston High School Zero Robotics Team, who won first place in NASA’s global competition on Jan. 25, 2016.  The team included Alex Casto, Alex Sanches, Shannon Joins and their dedicated coach and teacher, Dr. Joe Oliver.  This is the second consecutive year that the team placed first in this competition–they are putting West Virginia on the map for STEM education!

Special congratulations are in order for two West Virginia companies and an outstanding individual as part of the TransTech Energy Business Development Program.  Awards were presented by WV Department of Commerce Cabinet Secretary Keith Burdette to:

• PolyPlexx of South Charleston, WV–Winner of the Governor’s Award for Excellence in Green Advanced Manufacturing
• Armstrong World Products of Beverly, WV– Winner of the Governor’s Award for Leadership in Industrial Energy Efficiency
• Dr. Gopalakrishnan, Director of the WVU Industrial Assessment Center–Winner of the Governor’s Award of Excellence for Enabling Industrial Energy Efficiency