Office of Biobased Technology | Michigan State University

Office of Biobased Technologies names associate director for external strategy

Bryan Ritchie

As Michigan's bioeconomy develops and expands, entrepreneurs and established businesses transitioning to products made from renewable resources will play a vital role in bioeconomic growth.

To ensure that these businesses have access to the full range of bioeconomy research and resources available at Michigan State University, the MSU Office of Biobased Technologies (OBT) named Bryan K. Ritchie associate director for external strategies Oct. 1. Ritchie is an associate professor of international relations and co-director of the Michigan Center for Innovation and Economic Prosperity (MCIEP) in the James Madison College at MSU.

"I'll be crafting and implementing a strategy to rapidly and seamlessly connect MSU with the bioeconomy private sector, including businesses, government and other universities," Ritchie said. "I'll also be helping MSU organize to gain access to the private sector."

A former entrepreneur who started two computer companies and consulted for Novel, USRobotics, 3Com and Iomega before moving to academia, Ritchie studies the processes of innovation and technological development in the fast-growing economies of Southeast Asia. Ritchie's technological and research background allow him to understand the needs of both the university and the business world.

"This is truly the perfect position for me," he said. "It allows me to combine my entrepreneurial background and my academic research to help build Michigan's bioeconomy."

Ritchie will continue as co-director of the MCIEP, focusing his work at the center on developing external strategies for the Office of Biobased Technologies. This, too, is a natural fit. The MCIEP was founded in 2006 to explore the industries and policies that can develop Michigan's 21st century economy. To many, this is the bioeconomy. Each year the center produces three sets of reports: an industry review, a policy review and set of recommendations for industry leaders and policy-makers. In 2007, the MCIEP produced reports on the advanced automotive, medical technology, pharmaceutical, biofuels and telecommunication industries.

"The OBT position is a great opportunity to bring together university resources and make them available to people who seek them," Ritchie said. "I'm very excited about the possibilities ahead."