Tech Park in the running for grant to create video game incubator

The Louisiana Technology Park is a finalist for a $75,000 grant from the Delta Regional Authority that would help the tech park start an incubator for companies that aim to make video games, says its director, Stephen Loy. The grant primarily would allow the tech park to bring in people to help who have been involved in the business in other cities. Loy expects to get notification in the coming days on whether the tech park is awarded the grant. “We have such a young industry here as it relates to media and games,” Loy says. “There aren’t a lot of people [locally] to talk to as far as mentors.” Video game–specific hardware also is needed for the incubator project, he says. The Delta Regional Authority “works to improve life” for people who live in 252 counties and parishes in eight Delta states. It’s led by a federal co-chairman appointed by the U.S. president and confirmed by the Senate, along with the governors of the eight states, the DRA website says. Louisiana’s 2012 DRA allocation is more than $1.7 million. —David Jacobs