SCRA president outlines restructuring, investments and new cybersecurity and rural‑health initiatives
March 17, 2026 | 2026 Legislative Meetings, South Carolina
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Mr. Kirkland, identified to the committee as president and CEO of the South Carolina Research Authority (SCRA), gave an overview of the authority's recent restructuring, leadership changes and program priorities.
Kirkland introduced a new chief financial officer and a chief program officer for SC Launch, and described an executive-committee-led governance structure that includes university presidents and governor appointees. He said the authority has focused on regional support to reach communities beyond the main metropolitan areas.
Kirkland summarized SCRA's investment activity and metrics, telling the committee the authority has helped generate follow-on funding for portfolio companies (he cited more than $3 billion in follow-on funding since SCRA's creation) and presented an asserted economic-impact figure. He said SCRA provides non-dilutive grants (small awards) and equity investments and listed a number of recent portfolio examples drawn from health-tech and medical device startups.
Kirkland outlined major initiatives: a cybersecurity center built from a governor's ecosystem review, regional cyber centers and a dedicated program lead; an ag-innovation effort supported by a $600,000 Wells Fargo grant to seed community grants; and SCORR, a mentoring program for entrepreneurs that SCRA is continuing after federal changes to SBA funding.
On rural health, Kirkland said SCRA is preparing to play a catalytic role in deploying technology and startups to rural communities and is working on an MOU to support HHS-funded rural‑health innovation dollars (he cited a $220 million HHS allocation in that context and said SCRA expects to manage aspects of programming related to innovation funding). Kirkland emphasized that SCRA was not seeking a budget increase this year but may return in a later session if requests are needed.
Committee members asked clarifying questions about definitions of rural, program metrics and startup survival rates; Kirkland offered to follow up with more-detailed financial and performance figures.
The committee thanked the authority's representatives and scheduled follow-up briefings with Commerce and other agencies in subsequent meetings.
Kirkland introduced a new chief financial officer and a chief program officer for SC Launch, and described an executive-committee-led governance structure that includes university presidents and governor appointees. He said the authority has focused on regional support to reach communities beyond the main metropolitan areas.
Kirkland summarized SCRA's investment activity and metrics, telling the committee the authority has helped generate follow-on funding for portfolio companies (he cited more than $3 billion in follow-on funding since SCRA's creation) and presented an asserted economic-impact figure. He said SCRA provides non-dilutive grants (small awards) and equity investments and listed a number of recent portfolio examples drawn from health-tech and medical device startups.
Kirkland outlined major initiatives: a cybersecurity center built from a governor's ecosystem review, regional cyber centers and a dedicated program lead; an ag-innovation effort supported by a $600,000 Wells Fargo grant to seed community grants; and SCORR, a mentoring program for entrepreneurs that SCRA is continuing after federal changes to SBA funding.
On rural health, Kirkland said SCRA is preparing to play a catalytic role in deploying technology and startups to rural communities and is working on an MOU to support HHS-funded rural‑health innovation dollars (he cited a $220 million HHS allocation in that context and said SCRA expects to manage aspects of programming related to innovation funding). Kirkland emphasized that SCRA was not seeking a budget increase this year but may return in a later session if requests are needed.
Committee members asked clarifying questions about definitions of rural, program metrics and startup survival rates; Kirkland offered to follow up with more-detailed financial and performance figures.
The committee thanked the authority's representatives and scheduled follow-up briefings with Commerce and other agencies in subsequent meetings.
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