Originated in 2002 as a partnership between GE Transportation Systems, Ben Franklin Technology Partners and Penn State Erie, the Behrend College, we were created to fill two specific technology gaps in northwestern Pennsylvania under the leadership of our first CEO, Susan Breon. 

One need was to assist with the commercialization of eDynaQuote software, a ground-breaking, reverse auction tool that was revolutionary at the time.  The incubation and commercialization of the software was successful and in 2006, eDynaQuote, now known as Procurex, was spun out to a for-profit business that is headquartered in Erie, PA.

Additionally, GE Transportation Systems and many small businesses in the region noticed a glaring gap in the information technology (IT) workforce and implementation capability of regional IT providers.  We were tasked with developing ways to build and enhance the capabilities of the IT workforce in Northwestern Pennsylvania.  Because of the success of those efforts, a large part of the initiatives used then still exist here today.

We have since been involved in several major technology initiatives including the development of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) training and implementation.  Based on our initial efforts, we helped establish an RFID Center of Excellence which is permanently housed at Penn State Erie.  We conducted nationally acknowledged research to prove the capability of off-the-shelf radar for remote monitoring of the Great Lakes and facilitated new permanent monitoring for Presque Isle Bay on Lake Erie.  During that same time, we have trained thousands of Pennsylvania workers and stimulated millions of dollars in IT investment for Pennsylvania-based companies.

Now under the leadership of our Executive Director, Ron May, we are poised to make great advances in business technology development in the coming years.