The innovation program designed to move academic findings and translational research into the commercial marketplace, known at Johns Hopkins University as FastForward, is expanding early next year, with a second facility scheduled to open in East Baltimore to provide lab and office space for startups. Some lab space will be available starting in September 2014.
The first accelerator, FastForward Homewood, at the historic Stieff Silver Building near Homewood campus, was opened by the Whiting School of Engineering in June 2013, and today it houses nine startups from across the university. The second incubator, FastForward East at the Rangos Building on North Wolfe Street, will be more closely tied to the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, the Bloomberg School of Public Health, and the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, while still allowing scientists and technical experts from a wide background to take advantage of the new facility.