Facility will serve as hub of innovation and job creation on L.A.’s Eastside

Cal State LA broke ground Nov. 18 on the Rongxiang Xu Bioscience Innovation Center, which will house the LA BioSpace incubator and serve as a hub for entrepreneurship and job creation on Los Angeles’ Eastside.

During the event, Cal State LA President William A. Covino announced that the University had just received a $500,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration to support entrepreneurial enterprises at the LA BioSpace incubator.

The gift will fund LA BioStart Boot Camp, which will provide participants with the skills they need to compete in the industry. Cal State LA was one of only 35 universities in the U.S. to receive a 2016 award through the Regional Innovation Strategies program. LA BioStart will provide training to bioscience entrepreneurs on Cal State LA’s campus this year, to develop much-needed industry talent even before the innovation center opens in 2018.