A symbiotic relationship – Hewlett Packard and Fort Collins, Colorado

It’s unlikely Dave Packard knew what would become of this area when his company decided to open up offices here more than 40 years ago.

Packard went to high school in Pueblo, so when the Princeton graduate and Hewlett- Packard co-founder charged the company with opening a facility outside of its Palo Alto, Calif., headquarters, it looked to Colorado.

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The household-name recognition of HP and other companies such as Intel the city has gained over the past 20 years helps boost the "panache" of Fort Collins, said Wade Troxell, associate dean for research and economic development in the CSU College of Engineering. It also helps boost interest in math and science careers among tech-savvy students.

He said there’s an interdependency between knowledge coming out of the university and private-sector companies like HP. Not only do CSU students land jobs and internships at HP, but faculty members have taken sabbaticals to work in certain divisions at the firm.

"Innovation is not just from within, but from the broader technical community as a whole," Troxell said. "It’s the high intellectual value that begins to differentiate us in the market."

By Kimberly S. Johnson
Denver Post Staff Writer

Full Story: http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_6429187