The
Microsoft Innovation Center (MIC), a hub for entrepreneurial activity and community engagement, will open this summer on the ground floor of the
University City Science Center’s headquarters at 3711 Market Street.
According to Science Center spokesperson Kristen Fitch, "the MIC will be a place where entrepreneurs, students and community members can convene to use Microsoft tools and technology, get training and advice from Microsoft tech evangelists, sign up for complimentary
BizSpark and
DreamSpark software packages, and participate in programming to help them advance their ideas and ventures."
Bringing the MIC to University City is a big win, she adds.
"The MIC complements and reinforces our focus on making
uCity Square a neighborhood that supports innovation, entrepreneurship, access and inclusion. The MIC will complement
Quorum programming as it helps bridge the current gaps for startups on their journey to success, such as the lack of access to funding, knowledge and expertise; access to affordable technology; business planning; and exposure to potential markets and customers."
A key part of the MIC’s mission will be engaging underrepresented groups with STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) activities and careers.
"We plan to seek input from neighborhood and community partners to develop programs and workshops that can help their constituents leverage Microsoft technology and Science Center experience to support their entrepreneurial ambitions," says Fitch.
Possibilities include a partnership with the Center's
FirstHand program (which engages middle and high school students from underserved schools), technology skills training with Microsoft’s
YouthSpark hub, technology camps, and software grants to nonprofits that focus on STEM and computer science literacy.
The MIC, a collaboration between Microsoft Corp.,
SeventySix Capital, the Science Center and
Wexford Science & Technology, is only the third such hub in the U.S.; other locations are in Atlanta and Miami.
The space will open in time for the Democratic National Convention in July and "serve as a hotbed of Microsoft activity during the convention, with a number of programs and events that explore the intersection of technology and civic engagement," promises the Science Center.
"Bringing Microsoft to Philadelphia and uCity Square is a game changer on many levels," said Science Center President & CEO Stephen S. Tang in a statement. "Not only have we attracted a large tech company to our city, but the MIC also offers a means to engage our neighborhood, innovation and entrepreneurial communities, and give them access to Microsoft technology and training."
WRITER IN RESIDENCE is a partnership between the University City Science Center and Flying Kite Media that embeds a reporter on-site at 3711 Market Street. The resulting coverage will provide an inside look at the most intriguing companies, discoveries and technological innovations coming out of this essential Philadelphia institution.