Penn State Research has supported more than 2,500 jobs and generated nearly $200 million in economic impact since 2015, according to The Science Coalition’s “Sparking Economic Growth.”
The Sparking Economic Growth report, released in April, highlights 53 companies from The Science Coalition member institutions that trace their roots to federally funded university research. The companies span across industry, geography, and funding sources, showing close ties between federal investment in fundamental research, job creation, and an innovation-based economy.

Normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) is a disease resulting from too much cerebrospinal fluid around the brain and affects roughly 750,000 Americans, typically those over 65 years old. Penn State researchers are developing a new technology called HydroFix, an advanced surgical shunt system to address NPH.

Nic Anzalone, a third-generation Penn State student who graduated this spring with a degree in corporate innovation and entrepreneurship, launched his first company at the age of 7. Years later, that drive has placed Anzalone at the starting line of entrepreneurship and in business with his grandfather. Now, with help from Penn State’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, he’s got 812 Solutions on the track to success.