The Hydroponics for Appalachian Schools and Communities (HASC) research and commercialization project combines interests of the Wheeling Jesuit University (WJU) Appalachian Institute and the locally owned small business PLANTS, LLC to serve the needs of Appalachia through a research and product development/technical services initiative. This report describes the process to commercialize the PLANTS hydroponics education limited liability company (LLC). This report also shows how this partnership project furthered the WJU mission goals to integrate learning, research and economic development with classical knowledge and inspired service for others.
WJU faculty and students collaborated with the small business partner PLANTS, LLC, working together and independently, to further the design and development of the PLANTS hydroponics education product. The seed funding provided by the TechConnect West Virginia Innovation Transfer Consortium partnership provided a meaningful way to foster student research competence, creativity and innovation. This report also shows how the HASC funding greatly expanded the PLANTS, LLC commercialization process and technical service capacity to serve educators and school communities.
The partnership between PLANTS, LLC and the WJU Appalachian Institute facilitated the successful completion of the research and usability testing on five different hydroponic systems. The key partners directing this project were PLANTS, LLC CEO Dr. Laurie Ruberg and WJU faculty member Dr. Mary Railing. The lab investigations provided quantitative and qualitative data from which to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the five hydroponic products being evaluated for the PLANTS, LLC commercialization process. The professional development and classroom hydroponics education activities that were completed during this funding period document the successful applications of PLANTS, LLC as a hydroponics education and professional/technical services business.
For an electronic copy of this report send an email to plantlessons @ gmal.com
The results of the product analyses provide a detailed product profile for each of the five systems. The research data provide guidelines for expanded commercial outreach for the PLANTS, LLC technical services as well as guidelines for educators regarding the outcomes of the usability testing.
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