News
June 13, 2007

Hi-tech firm moves to Chester site
By Kathleen E. Carey, of The Times Staff
CHESTER — A West Chester manufacturer of imaging spectrometers is relocating its headquarters to the office suites portion of University Technology Park after signing a multi-year lease.

Incorporated in 2002, Brandywine Optics is moving its operation to 1350 Edgmont Ave., taking advantage of the Villanova and Widener universities partnership inherent in the appropriated Keystone Innovation Zone.

With the universities as its host, the Delaware County KIZ is a state-designated area for encouraging innovative thinking, creativity and technology transfer through the assistance of local entrepreneurs, start-up companies and progressive businesses from start to finish of an innovative idea.

E. Jean Krack, Keystone Innovation Zone coordinator, said the space is filling quickly at the center, having only 2,100 square feet available out of the total 37,000 square feet. “The Keystone Innovation premise helps a lot,” he said. “It just creates a synergy. The synergy is now starting to evolve.”

Just last week, Krack announced that the venture capital firm, GIV Partners, had signed a multi-year lease to create a satellite office at University Technology Park.

He said the involvement of the universities is attractive to many companies.

Yet, he highlighted the renaissance occurring in Chester from Harrah’s to Wells Fargo to the technology park.

“It just shows that there are all kinds of jobs being offered here,” he said. “All these (businesses) are doing the same thing —- creating jobs for Chester residents.”

Of Brandywine Optics, Krack said, “It’s a small company. Every major company in the United States was a small company. Small companies drive this nation.”

Brandywine Optics creates imaging spectrometers used in environmental mapping, homeland defense, biomedical imaging and industrial inspection.

This hyper-spectral imaging uses a full-color spectrum to discriminate between background materials and target substances. These can be installed in aircraft, microscopes or on the factory floor.

Other tenants include Navmar Applied Sciences, Educational Directories Unlimited, the Widener Small Business Development Center and Widener University is renovating space for a charter school.

The University Technology Park was created in 1999 through a partnership of Crozer-Keystone Health System and Widener University. The park also manages the Keystone Innovation Zone program.

To find out more about University Technology Park or the Delaware County KIZ, call (610) 499-7534 or visit » www.delcokiz.org