ALACHUA, Fla., April 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --Sid Martin Biotechnology Institute (SMBI), the leading biotechnology incubator at the University of Florida, has been awarded the Randall M. Whaley Incubator of the Year award for 2017, the highest award given by the International Business Innovation Association (InBIA). InBIA is the world's leading organization for advancing business incubation, acceleration and entrepreneurship. SMBI was named Incubator of the Year among more than 7,500 incubators worldwide. The annual award, sponsored by the Friends of the University Science Center in Philadelphia, recognizes the top global business incubation program and includes a cash prize.

The award was presented on March 28th at the InBIA's 31st Annual International Conference on Business Incubation. Accepting the award for SMBI were Mark S. Long, Director, and Merrie Shaw, Assistant Director. SMBI also received another award, the 2017 Technology/Science Entrepreneurship Center Program.

David L. Day, Assistant Vice President for Technology Transfer at the University of Florida, said, "We are honored for the Institute to be recognized as the best in the world incubator. It is a tribute to our staff and their outstanding efforts helping startups grow great innovations and new solutions into successful businesses that will make the world a better place."

SMBI has a biotechnology focus, and over the past 21 years has served more than 100 startup companies in biotechnology, biomedicine and bioagriculture. The Institute has created more than 2,200 high-tech jobs since its inception, and SMBI resident companies have accumulated over $1.62B in capital and M&A activity. There is a 93% survival rate for companies that entered the SMBI program since March of 2003, and an overall 78% survival rate for all companies served over the past 21 years.

Since becoming Director of SMBI in January 2016, Long has overseen the admission of 13 new companies, and the graduation of three companies. "We continue to see the growth of North Central Florida as a biotech hub," said Long. "As part of the University of Florida's Research Foundation, we are able to offer new biotechnology startups a tremendous wealth of resources, advisement and equipment. We are proud to be recognized by our peers as the top incubation program in the world."

About Sid Martin Biotechnology Institute at the University of Florida

The Sid Martin Biotechnology Institute (SMBI) is the leading biotechnology incubator headquartered at the University of Florida in Alachua, Florida at Progress Park. SMBI has been honored with national and international awards for incubator excellence and achievements in technology commercialization, funding access, job creation and technology-based economic development. It is dedicated to mentoring and accelerating the growth of innovative early-stage bioscience and biotechnology companies, and supporting the economic growth of the North Central Florida region. For more information, visit sidmartinbio.org.

Contact:Merrie Shaw, Assistant Director, Sid Martin Biotechnology Institute, 386-462-0880, mashaw@ufl.edu, sidmartinbio.org

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Mark Long, Director, and Merrie Shaw, Assistant Director, Sid Martin Biotechnology Institute 2017 InBIA Awards.jpg

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SOURCE Sid Martin Biotechnology Institute at the University of Florida

http://sidmartinbio.org

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