Cumberland Emerging Technologies Expands Life Sciences Center

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Dec. 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Cumberland Emerging Technologies, Inc. (CET), a company formed to advance early-stage biomedical technologies and products from our Mid-South region to the marketplace, recently completed an expansion of its life sciences incubator. The project brings the facility to over 14,000 square feet, more than doubling its size and providing additional wet lab, office and storage space to current and prospective tenants.

"This expansion is a significant milestone for CET and Nashville's growing life sciences community," said A.J. Kazimi, Chief Executive Officer of both CET and Cumberland Pharmaceuticals. "We opened the facility in 2002 because we saw a need for wet lab space and other support services among emerging life sciences firms. Since then, we have expanded the facility three times as that demand continues to grow. The additional space will allow us to better serve our existing tenants while providing a growing number of early-stage companies with the resources and support required to commercialize new products."

The Life Sciences Center is located in downtown Nashville in the historic "Gateway to Nashville" building, adjacent to the Union Station hotel and the Frist Visual Arts Center. The Center anchors an emerging "high-tech" corridor in the "SoBro" area located south of Broadway Avenue in downtown Nashville. Prior to the expansion, the Center was fully leased. It provides lab and office space, equipment and infrastructure support to six companies, including three organizations recently awarded $3.2 million in federal small business grants. Additionally, CET has graduated a growing number of tenants that moved into their own facilities after successfully establishing their businesses at the Life Sciences Center.

To celebrate the expansion, CET will host an open house on Monday, December 10 at 4 p.m. Tours of the facility will be provided and Fritz Bittenbender, Vice President of the Biotechnology Industry Association (BIO), will serve as the guest speaker.

About Cumberland Emerging Technologies Inc.

Cumberland Emerging Technologies Inc. (CET) is a joint initiative between Vanderbilt University, Cumberland Pharmaceuticals Inc., and Launch Tennessee, formally known as the Tennessee Technology Development Corporation (TTDC). The mission of CET is to advance biomedical technologies and products conceived at academic research centers towards the commercial marketplace. CET manages the development and commercialization process for select projects, and provides expertise on intellectual property, regulatory, manufacturing, and market issues that are critical to successful new biomedical products.

CET has sponsored Middle Tennessee's first life sciences incubator located in downtown Nashville adjacent to the Union Station Hotel and the Frist Visual Arts Center since its founding in 2002.  This Life Sciences Center provides laboratory space, equipment and other support to a growing number of tenants who specialize in medical products and research advancements. 

Contact: Rebecca Kirkham
Lovell Communications Inc.
(615) 297-7766

SOURCE Cumberland Emerging Technologies, Inc.