Sporting Innovations’ Brian Smith discusses the exclusive implementation of the EVS C-Cast video solution within the FAN360 Ecosystem.

Managing partners Asim Pasha and Robb Heineman discuss the future of sports and technology.

It’s a lesson that’s all too easy to forget in a world driven by mobile devices, cloud computing and home offices. There are big benefits to setting up shop in the right spot—especially among lots of peers in the same field.

Just ask sports-gear makers in Ogden, Utah. Or health-care companies in Nashville. Or nanotechnology researchers in Albany, N.Y.

These cities, and others like them across the country, have become hubs for specific industries. Entrepreneurs are moving there and flourishing in the teeth of a bleak economy. The cities, in turn, are nurturing the entrepreneurs by giving them access to funding, mentors and facilities.

All in all, these clusters can be ideal spots for an entrepreneur in the field. Being there means getting access to a much wider range of suppliers, customers, employees and industry experts. What’s more, industry peers are often willing to support each other as they get off the ground, sharing recommendations about staffers, potential sales leads and attractive office space, or giving each other guidance and insight about the industry.

“I’d attribute a lot of our success to the location,” he says. “I think the availability of cybersecurity talent and the low cost of doing business here has helped us. And because there are so many different cybersecurity companies, we have improved each other’s business through partnerships.”

As a hub grows, it brings other benefits to small firms. For one thing, even as businesses cooperate, they challenge each other to innovate—to come up with new ideas that make them stand out from the crowd. “Specialization in a region increases patents, business formation and higher wages,” says Rich Bryden, director of information products at Harvard Business School, who’s working with a team mapping industry hubs in the U.S.

When businesses come together, they also catch the eye of big players with deep pockets—especially beneficial when the economy is weak and financing is limited.

“It’s easier to be on the radar for investors when you’re part of a critical mass,” says John Fernandez, assistant secretary of commerce for economic development at the U.S. Economic Development Administration.

Hubs also catch the eye of government, says Dan Carol, senior fellow at the New Policy Institute think tank in Washington, D.C. A concentration of small firms in the same field is more likely to be recognized on the municipal level, where funding programs and policies can be created to stimulate their growth.

Here’s a look at seven up-and-coming innovative centers. All have solid partnerships between the public and private sectors, a growing work force to fuel the industry and long-term strategies for development. And entrepreneurs say being there is vital to their success.

INDIANAPOLIS

LIFE SCIENCES

Indianapolis used to be the quintessential Rust Belt city. Now it’s at the center of a statewide boom in the life-sciences business.

Endocyte

Indianapolis is home to big names in the life-sciences field such as Eli Lilly & Co. and health insurer WellPoint.

The state has added 8,800 jobs in the life sciences in recent years, and today some 825 medical-device companies, drug manufacturers and research labs call Indiana home.

Indianapolis, which is home to big names in the field such as Eli LillyLLY +0.90% & Co. and health insurerWellPoint Inc., WLP +0.88% is leading the transformation. Corporations like these have added the lion’s share of the state’s new life-sciences jobs. Now they’re helping smaller companies get off the ground, too—by spinning off new businesses as well as by backing independent start-ups. Eli Lilly, for instance, has contributed roughly $60 million to seed and venture funds that are supporting entrepreneurs.

That isn’t the only way big companies are easing the way for small ones. With new firms arriving to supply the large drug makers, start-ups are getting access to a range of services at competitive prices.

Many small firms, meanwhile, are helping others get off to a good start. David Broecker, president and chief executive of BioCritica Inc., an Eli Lilly spinoff, says his peers have referred employees, suggested work space and given information on tax and financial incentives.

It’s just the environment he hoped for when he left the East Coast to build a company. He considered other spots but settled on Indianapolis because “it’s all new and exciting here for these folks, so there is a hunger for doing this type of thing.”

SAN ANTONIO

CYBERSECURITY

Washington, D.C., has usually taken the lead in creating Internet-defense systems. But the Alamo City is poised to give the Beltway a run for its money. There are more than 80 information-technology and cyber-related businesses in San Antonio, and that figure is increasing rapidly, according to the city’s Chamber of Commerce.

Andrew Watson

There are more than 80 information-technology and cyber-related businesses in San Antonio.

Many entrepreneurs are anticipating a flood of government contracts from the new Air Force Cyber Command headquarters in town. The military chose San Antonio in part because the armed forces have always had a strong presence there—and many of the city’s workers have security clearances from the Defense Department and the National Security Agency. Another big plus: a stream of skilled graduates from the University of Texas at San Antonio.

But not all the firms in town are counting on government contracts. The city has a growing group of businesses that cater primarily to the private sector, like MainNerve Inc., the company Mr. Logsdon moved to San Antonio. The firm helps health-care companies secure digital records and servers. “The quantity of people here allowed us to show more discernment in our hiring,” says Mr. Logsdon. “It was the best place for us to find qualified and certified cybersecurity professionals—and it doesn’t hurt that they have military experience.”

ALBANY, N.Y.

NANOTECHNOLOGY

The capital of New York state is becoming a big player in a field that deals with small things—nanotechnology. The city now boasts more than 4,000 people in the industry, centered on the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering at the University at Albany.

Mia Ertas/CNSE

Albany is becoming a big player in a field that deals with small things—nanotechnology.

The school has doubled in size during the recession to its current 800,000-square-foot complex. Dozens of nanotechnology companies have established a presence there to take advantage of research facilities and business incubators; since 2008, nearly 50 new start-ups have launched within its walls.

The build-out was part of a state plan, formulated years earlier, to revive the economy in upstate New York. Financing came partly from the state and partly from corporations like International Business Machines Corp., IBM +1.06% which now have offices there alongside entrepreneurs. That means companies can share the cost of equipment and labor—and start-ups get to associate themselves with big names.

“The prestige of being here and the credibility is amazing, which helps when you are talking with VCs and investors and large companies,” says Primal Fernando, CEO and chief technology officer of Resource Management Technology Systems Inc., which moved to Albany from La Junta, Colo., last year. “And the equipment available here is not available elsewhere.”

Many companies are launching off-campus, as well, in laboratories that are opening in once-vacant buildings. And financiers and other vital players have been moving in to be a part of the action.

“Venture capital has been growing to feed the innovation,” says Alain Kaloyeros, a physics professor and senior vice president of the college. “Suppliers and law firms are moving to the region to support this ecosystem, so it will be quite an exciting venture to watch.”

KANSAS CITY

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Welcome to “Silicon Prairie.”

Kansas City, straddling the Kansas and Missouri state line, is home to tech giants likeSprint Nextel Corp. S +1.16% and Cerner Corp., CERN +0.62% but its industry ranks have been swelling with smaller firms. In 2009, the number of tech companies rose by 5% to 2,900, trumping the growth rates of well-known hubs like Silicon Valley, Boston and Austin, Texas, according to a 2010 study published by the TechAmerica Foundation.

Dataworks, Inc.

Part of what attracts entrepreneurs to Kansas City is a high-speed fiber network from Google, which chose the city over 1,100 others to set up the service.

Part of the lure for entrepreneurs: a high-speed fiber network from Google Inc.,GOOG +1.47% which chose Kansas City over 1,100 other cities to set up the service. Expected to roll out next year, the network will run 100 times faster than current broadband, which will likely bolster cloud-based technologies and pave the way for high-definition streaming services that will be hard to find elsewhere.

The Google initiative will be “an excellent platform for innovation,” says Bryan Richard, founder of iCode Inc., a Web start-up that posts profiles of software developers. “Everyone in the technology business is talking about it here in town, and everyone wants to do something with it and maximize it.”

Entrepreneurs who have relocated from the coasts also tout the friendly business environment. It’s far less expensive to build a firm and develop technology, they say, and there are fewer state and city regulations to worry about. And, as in other hubs, many entrepreneurs are helping each other. “Numerous times people have asked me for things I have expertise in and there are times where I call competitors…for specific problems,” says Donald Rossberg, president of Dataworks Inc., a technology-support and consulting start-up. “In the end, we all benefit.”

ASHEVILLE, N.C.

BEER BREWING

Craft beer is a small industry, but it has a devoted customer base. One Southern town is going after those fans with vigor.

John Warner 

Craft beer is a small industry, but it has a devoted customer base. Asheville, has 10 breweries, with two on the way.

Asheville, a Blue Ridge Mountain town of 75,000, has 10 breweries, with two on the way. That can’t compare with the 40 in Portland, Ore., but it stacks up to other beer havens like Milwaukee and Boulder, Colo., which both have fewer than a dozen. “Asheville is definitely on the map and well recognized in the craft-brewing industry,” says Paul Gatza, director of the Brewers Association in Boulder.

Entrepreneurs new to the area seek mentoring from the established brewmasters and the Asheville Brewers Alliance, formed to exchange ideas and promote the industry. They also tap Blue Ridge Food Ventures, an incubator for developing and commercializing products.

Competition among the breweries is a key driver of growth. “Every time a new brewery opens, it has to create its own creative edge, and then the other breweries have to be creative to become relevant again,” explains Bill Drew, owner and brewmaster at Craggie Brewing Co. “So it’s good when the new guys come in; it keeps the old guys on their toes.”

In fact, the beer culture has permeated the town, with a host of businesses cooking up beer-flavored edibles and artists making tap handles and bottle labels. The environment gives brewers a place to source ingredients and fuel creativity. “By local companies teaming together, it’s pretty much a win-win,” Mr. Drew says.

NASHVILLE, TENN.

HEALTH CARE

Early last year, the federal government passed legislation calling for a host of health-care reforms. And Nashville is poised to benefit from the overhaul.

There are more than 250 health-care companies in the city, and their numbers are rising. Employment in nursing, hospital and ambulatory services jumped 16% between 2004 and 2008, for instance. That, in turn, provides fertile ground for companies that create medical devices and patient-care systems.

Shareable Ink 

There are more than 250 health-care companies in Nashville.

The entrepreneurial spirit “is infectious,” says Leon Dowling, founder and chief executive of IMI Health Inc., which collects and organizes health records to give insight into the best patient-care practices. “Within 10 miles of my office, I can have more potential clients than any other city in America.”

Last August, the city launched an entrepreneur center to spur innovation; two-thirds of the firms that have sought mentoring and financing are related to health care. State programs have also helped propel the industry. Recently, some $180 million in public funds has been made available to burgeoning firms.

It’s an attractive spot for entrepreneurs like Stephen Hau, president and chief executive of Shareable Ink Corp. The company, whose digital pen records doctors’ notes and transfers them to an electronic format, launched nearly three years ago in Boston and established a presence in Nashville last year. Today, 60% of the company is in Nashville.

“The community here is so well versed in health care that it keeps us plugged in to the key issues and how to resolve them,” says Mr. Hau. “And in terms of the investment community today, people are careful about where they place their bets. Being here, [investors] see we are aligned with thought leaders.”

OGDEN, UTAH

OUTDOOR SPORTS

Ogden, a small city some 40 miles north of the capital, packs a concentrated punch in the outdoor and recreation industry.

Goode Skis 

Ogden packs a concentrated punch in the outdoor and recreation industry.

Ogden made headlines in 2002, when it hosted events for the Salt Lake City Olympic Games. Those Olympic facilities, along with acres of pristine mountains, canyons and rivers, are the main reason outdoor-apparel and equipment companies have been moving to town: The site offers a perfect spot for testing new products, and it’s easily accessible from a nearby airport that supports direct flights to Europe. What’s more, business owners say, the growing base of competing companies in the area push each other to design the best equipment.

Utah has a relatively modest share of the industry; the state estimates it’s home to about 5% of the outdoor-products firms in the U.S. Still, companies that expanded in or relocated to Utah have created at least 2,550 jobs in the past six years, according to the Economic Development Corporation of Utah.

Industry goliaths get partial credit for the surge in Ogden. Amer Sports Corp.,AMEAS.HE +0.36% the company behind Wilson, Atomic and other brands, consolidated its U.S. operations in 2007 and moved them to the town. Quality Bicycle Products Inc., a distributor based in Bloomington, Minn., set up its second location in Ogden in 2010.

Quality’s founder, Steve Flagg, liked the growing retailer base, easy access to the West Coast and strong labor pool. But, he says, “the game changer was the transformation that the city was going through,” as other companies moved in, and the local government actively recruited more.

Local leaders are also helping start-ups like Kahuna Creations Inc., a longboard, surfboard and landpaddle company, launch and grow. Kahuna founder Steve McBride says the mayor’s office helped him land funding and find a low-rent facility in 2008. The company has grown 30% to 50% annually.

“You get a network of people who really want to help,” Mr. McBride says. “We’ve been flourishing here.”

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EVS’ C-Cast technology allows fan test group at Sporting KC stadium to review multi-angles action on their tablets and smartphones over the stadium’s Wi-Fi during the game.

C-Cast enables live highlights from Sporting KC matches to enhance the spectator’s viewing experience by accessing unused camera angles and replays from their existing EVS server and delivering them to second-screen devices anywhere in the stadium. It can allow viewers to select replays, other video packages, graphics and information relating to the game. Sporting Innovations deployed the proof of concept during the 2013 season home opener against Chicago on March 16, and is currently undergoing extensive testing at subsequent matches.

“We created a technologically advanced stadium with Wi-Fi and extensive video facilities when we built Sporting Park in 2011,” said Asim Pasha, Managing Partner, Sporting Innovations, and CIO, Sporting KC. “Our supporters look to us to provide innovative and unique fan experiences, and giving them the opportunity to choose their own replays on their devices is the next step in that innovation. We think we’re the first to do this anywhere, and we’re excited for Kansas City and for fans of Sporting KC to be part of this opportunity.”

The innovation at Sporting Park, an 18 500 seat venue, was made possible by the stadium’s existing Cisco Connected Stadium Wi-Fi infrastructure, which provides one of the most robust stadium Wi-Fi services in the world. During the trial, Sporting Innovations tested the impact of C-Cast on the stadium Wi-Fi in order to determine how effectively a large number of users would be able to access the content coming through the C-Cast platform.

The C-Cast system was implemented into Sporting Park’s existing infrastructure, including Cisco’s StadiumVision application for IPTV, EVS’ XT series server, which is used for ingest, action replays and playback, and Sporting Innovations fan experience applications. EVS’ IPDirector suite of video production management applications has also been deployed as part of the trial.

“The ability to get the second-screen experience live in the stadium is a huge leap forward for fans of all sports everywhere,” said Luc Doneux, EVP Sports Division, EVS. “With minimal investment, C-Cast enables Sporting Innovations to enhance the fan experience, maximise content and create new revenue streams.”

During NAB, EVS will host an interview with Brian Smith, Video & Stadium Vision engineer at Sporting Innovations to discuss the new opportunities for stadiums to deliver enhanced fan experience and generate new revenues streams. The event will take place at the EVS booth (SL2416), on Wednesday April 10.

Media contacts
For more information about this press release, or to set up an interview with EVS, please contact:
Sarah Kelley (EMEA) or Kim Willsher (Americas and APAC)
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry (PR company)
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7403 8878 / +1 310 569 2603
evs@rlyl.com

About Sporting Innovations

Sporting Innovations develops and deploys next-generation technology to support the sports industry and its fans. By providing advanced services and integrated technology solutions, Sporting Innovations redefines the sports business model and creates unique types of engagement for fans. These engagements will enable brands to strengthen relationships with their fans and drive substantial incremental revenue. Our unique position in the market, as owners of our own team and stadium, allows us to innovate at the infrastructure and software layers, and presents stakeholders with a platform to connect, engage, and monetize a fan base. For more information please visit http://www.sporting-innovations.com/.

About EVS

EVS provides its customers with reliable and innovative technology to enable the production of live, enriched video programming, allowing them to work more efficiently and boost their revenue streams. Its industry-leading broadcast and media production systems are used by broadcasters, production companies, post-production facilities, film studios, content owners and archive libraries around the globe. It spans four key markets – Sports, Entertainment, News and Media.
Founded in 1994, its innovative Live Slow Motion system revolutionised live broadcasting. Its reliable and integrated tapeless solutions, based around its market-leading XT server range, are now widely used to deliver live productions worldwide. Today, it continues to develop practical innovations, such as its C-Cast second-screen delivery platform, to help customers maximise the value of their media content.
The company is headquartered in Belgium and has offices in Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific, and North and Latin America. Approximately 475 EVS professionals from 20 offices are selling its branded products in over 100 countries, and provide customer support globally. EVS is a public company traded on Euronext Brussels: EVS, ISIN: BE0003820371. For more information, please visit www.evs.com
Note: All brands referred in this document are officially registered trademarks.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements with respect to the business, financial condition, and results of operations of EVS and its affiliates. These statements are based on the current expectations or beliefs of EVS’ management are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or performance of the Company to differ materially from those contemplated in such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties relate to changes in technology and market requirements, the company’s concentration on one industry, decline in demand for the company’s products and those of its affiliates, inability to timely develop and introduce new technologies, products and applications, and loss of market share and pressure on pricing resulting from competition which could cause the actual results or performance of the company to differ materially from those contemplated in such forward-looking statements. EVS undertakes no obligation to publicly release any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

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Required

Ability to architect a fully redundant cloud infrastructure from the ground up

Experience with Amazon Web Services include EC2, S3, and ELB

Experience with firewall security

Strong Linux background

Understanding of change management

Highly Desirable

Experience with Git

Shell Scripting Experience

“Through social media, we’re trying to give fans a sense of ownership,” Heineman said. “They’re not just fans, but they help shape some of the decisions that we make. They deserve to know why we made decisions like the one with Kei.”

The move was typical of Heineman, whose leadership extends to Sporting Innovations, a software company focused on technology solutions for the sports industry. The company has collaborated with Cisco Sports & Entertainment on a product called StadiumVision Mobile that streams video to mobile devices in stadiums.

“We love Robb’s passion and entrepreneurial spirit,” said David Holland, senior vice president and general manager of Cisco Sports & Entertainment’s Solutions Group. “The turnaround that club has experienced is a testimony to how big Robb had to think and how far he was willing to go in order to succeed.”

Heineman took over as CEO of the soccer franchise in 2006. The club, which was rebranded as Sporting KC in 2010, has qualified for the MLS playoffs in the last two seasons.

In January, Sporting KC signed a five-year deal with Ivy Funds that is the first revenue-generating jersey sponsorship in the club’s 16-year history. Last season, the team sold out 16 of its 17 games, and all 34 of its stadium suites are sold out through the end of the 2013 season. The franchise’s transformation has drawn national media coverage, but so have its challenges. Perhaps most notable among those is the need to find a new stadium naming-rights partner to replace Livestrong after Lance Armstrong, the charity’s chairman, confessed to performance-enhancing drug use.

Heineman plans to confront all challenges, and expand new business in Kansas City, where he moved 12 years ago.

“I’m a lifer,” said Heineman, who was raised in South Dakota. “This community is what I’m all about. I very much want to stay here forever.”

— Christopher Botta
— Photo by Gary Rohman

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We are looking for an User Experience (UX) Designer to join our creative team. The ideal designer has expereince conceptualizing, prototyping, and solving UX challenges for mobile and web. He or she will work on every aspect of a product; from initial wireframes and prototypes to assisting with final design.

WHAT YOU BRING
– 3–5 years of UX design experience
– Knowledge of best practices in UX design and willingness to explore new ideas and concepts
– Mad skills with Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop)
– Ability to wireframe/prototype concepts and ideas for iOS, Android, and web
– An appreciation for simple solutions to complex problems
– Experience with usability testing
– Fascination with the latest and greatest in the world of technology and the startup scene
– A love for sports

WHAT WE BRING
– A new and exciting­ environment: on the front lines of new technology in the sport industry; reinventing the way fans experience sporting events
– Constant collaboration with talented team of developers, designers, and strategists to build innovative mobile and web products
– The opportunity to work with major clients in the sports industry

Interested? Send your resume and portfolio to contact@sportinginnovations.com