WVU President Michael Benson Visits WV Regional Technology Park on "Welcome Home Tour"
- sylviaasbury
- Aug 4
- 2 min read
The West Virginia Regional Technology Park (WVRTP) recently welcomed West Virginia University's new leader, President Michael T. Benson. On Wednesday evening, July 30, Benson visited the West Virginia Regional Technology Park as part of his "Welcome Home Tour," which spanned 18 counties. Benson officially assumed his role as the 27th president of West Virginia's flagship university on July 15.
Bringing Leaders Together to Celebrate Innovation and Collaboration
The reception, held at the Hendrickson Conference Center on the WVRTP campus in South Charleston, brought together business and community leaders, elected officials, WVRTP tenants, and economic development stakeholders from across the Kanawha Valley. "We have shared values with West Virginia University: research, education, and economic development. We look forward to working together in these areas to serve the people of our state," Matt Ballard, CEO of the WVRTP said in his opening remarks at the event. The event was a platform for networking, sharing perspectives, and celebrating innovation and collaboration in the future, under Benson's leadership.
Optimism for Collaboration
During the event Ballard shared the history of the Park with Benson and over 200 guests in attendance, including that over 30,000 patents have been created at the Tech Park, much of those commercialized into the Park. “The collective value of these innovations is over 18 billion in the market. These are innovations we all still used today, they changed the state, the nation and the world,” said Ballard, “research and innovation is how we grow new commerce.”
Several projects are underway at the WVRTP - including a project that will see all street lighting at the Park be replaced with new energy efficient LED lighting, and construction on a new facility for state agency laboratories. Upon completion, both Marshall and WVU will have a presence at the West Virginia Regional Technology Park
More Photos from the Evening
