By Shamona McClary

Kannapolis Citizen

For Clyde Higgs, a Fayetteville native who left for Texas, getting involved with the N.C. Research Campus "is a wonderful way to come back home."

Higgs came aboard two weeks ago as the vice president of business development on the $1 billion biotechnology project.

He is one of three executives hired by Castle & Cooke specifically for the campus and related components. The other two are Tom Sanctis, vice president of commercial construction, and Anthony Sparrow, vice president of residential development.

Higgs' role is to oversee the campus' $100 million venture capital fund established by David Murdock to attract businesses. He will also interface with companies interested in locating on the campus.

"Investing in early stage companies is going to set us apart," he said.

Higgs said most new products end up in the so-called "valley of death." On the average, he said, it takes about 10 years of work for innovations to get to the market.

"And there's no one to invest to get the discovery to the next step."

This is where Murdock comes in, he said.

Because of the scope of the project, Higgs expects smaller companies to approach him. But he would probably have to make pitches to some of the large-scale ones.

Right now, he said he is in the honeymoon stage of his job.

"The first 30 to 45 days will be about getting out and talking with people and getting important questions answered," Higgs explained.

"Where are the opportunities and resources" may be one of those questions.

He said with a project this large, you need to incorporate the thoughts of others who are already here.

And thus far, he has noticed several science companies in the area.

Higgs enters this project with a wealth of education and experience in technology development.

He earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of South Alabama, a master's degree from East Carolina University and worked for the community college system.

Before his return to North Carolina, he served as executive director with Tech Fort Worth Inc., a technology entrepreneurship center that assists emerging high technology companies to commercialize new products. The center partners with the city of Fort Worth and the University of North Texas Health Science Center.

As executive director, Higgs sourced more than 300 business plans.

Also while in Texas, Gov. Rick Perry appointed Higgs to serve on the Board for the Texas Emerging Technology Fund (ETF), a $200 million fund for early stage ventures. This recommends funding of early stage companies in the biotech, medical devices, energy and information technology areas.

"This is the type of thing that motivates me. I love devices and trying to get them commercialized," he said.

In addition to his love for technology and development, the idea of the campus simply amazes him.

"I'm fascinated by the vision of Murdock. I respect him for having such audacious visions. He has all the pieces in place from the universities to financing and real estate."

The ultimate quality, Higgs said, is that the research campus has the potential to impact the world.

"Who wouldn't want to get involved with this project," he said. "This project has a national scope. It's in the lexicon of the science community.

"The world truly is watching, and I have a unique perspective."

Contact Shamona McClary at 704-933-3450 or smcclary@salisburypost.com.