Indiana Center for Emerging Technologies Launches in Evansville
The Center, together with Southwest Indiana startups, industry leaders, and academia, focuses on the evaluation and validation of the market potential of emerging technologies.
The new Indiana Center for Emerging Technologies (ICET), a tech research firm and venture partner, is officially established in downtown Evansville. Led by Logan Jenkins, Executive Director of Evansville’s Circular Venture Lab, the firm is dedicated to regional growth through the support of high-tech startups and high-skill tech job creation. The Center will collaborate with regional entrepreneurs, industry leaders, and national research labs to launch new growth ventures and create company spinoffs.
Jenkins explains, “Emerging technologies are innovative advancements with the potential to disrupt industries and society. They represent the cutting edge of technological development, often characterized by rapid evolution and broad applications. Examples include artificial intelligence, robotics, and advanced manufacturing technologies like 3D printing.”
Dr. Jason Salstrom has joined the Center as Principal, Venture Partner, and Technology Scout. Salstrom has worked at the intersection of industry, academia, and government for a decade, including launching the Eagle Innovation Accelerator at University of Southern Indiana in 2015, and Purdue@WestGate, WestGate@Crane Technology Park, in 2017.
“Businesses can’t compete without staying ahead of the curve on new technology,” said Salstrom when asked about what he hopes to bring to ICET. “So we connect industry to startups, universities, and federal labs to help executives make the hard choices necessary to stay competitive, as well as attract and retain talent.”
Shortly after landing in downtown Evansville in 2023, Jenkins began working with local and regional leaders in education, industry, and economic and community development. Coming from established entrepreneurial ecosystems in Los Angeles, San Diego, and Denver, he identified a need for a centralized research and collaboration hub in Southwest Indiana. Jenkins felt the Evansville region, a multimodal transportation gateway and home to multiple national and global industry leaders, needed better connections to agencies and universities across the state, the Midwest, and the nation.
In 2024, Circular Venture Lab landed four funding awards for their early work in economic development, technology transfer initiatives, and regional collaboration. The awarding agencies include the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Jenkins states, “The awards and recognition for our early work in the region were the catalysts for the Center’s creation. We’ve done some great work already with partners from the University of Evansville’s Center for Innovation and Change and the Evansville Regional Economic Partnership (E-REP). The funding awards added credibility to our reputation and allowed us to focus on supporting regional entrepreneurs and startups. As well, we now have a formal Center to work with industry leaders in manufacturing, healthcare, and a wide variety of emerging technologies across these sectors.”
The Center will operate out of Innovation Pointe in downtown Evansville, which is home to multiple regional economic and business development entities, including E-REP and the ISBDC. On August 29th, Jenkins and Salstrom will host an introductory event for the Center in the building, beginning at 5:00pm. Full details on the event can be found here.
About the Indiana Center for Emerging Technologies (ICET):
The Evansville ICET supports our region's entrepreneurial ecosystem and serves multiple purposes:
Regional Collaboration: The ICET is a resource center for industry leaders to explore collaborations between academia, government research agencies, and Indiana manufacturers.
Talent Attraction: Our Center attracts new entrepreneurs and industries to SW Indiana, spurs the creation of new startups and spinoffs, and helps to retain our current entrepreneurial talent.
Relevant Connections: Engagement with our network in Evansville and across the state to help startups strengthen capabilities and reach funding and commercialization milestones.
Industry Showcase: The Center allows our regional industry leaders a digital and physical space to showcase their technological capabilities and strengths.