In addition to the powers granted it by the Nonprofit Corporation Law, as provided in Chapter 2 of Title 12 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, a corporation under this Subpart shall have the following powers and authorities:

(1)  To acquire, purchase, hold, use, improve, lease, sell, transfer, and dispose of any property, real, personal, or mixed, or any interest therein.

(2)  To create, develop, construct, operate, manage, and finance regional research and development parks, related facilities, and infrastructure, independently or in cooperation with other private or public entities, including one or more institutions of higher education.

(3)  To receive and accept from any source donations, contributions, or grants of monies or other property for achieving any purpose of this Subpart.

(4)  To borrow money and incur debt to finance any activity of the corporation under this Subpart and for such purpose to mortgage, pledge, hypothecate, or otherwise encumber the property, real, personal, or mixed, or facilities, or revenues of the corporation as security for notes, evidences of indebtedness, or other obligations of the corporation and to assign or pledge all or any portion of its interest in property, corporeal or incorporeal, and the revenues therefrom.

(5)  To make and enter into cooperative endeavor agreements with the United States, or its agencies, or with any public or private association, corporation, or individual.

(6)  To attract investments in research and development and high technology businesses and industries by conducting and focusing attention on various educational, cultural, scientific, and economic activities in the region and the state, assisting potential investors with information requested to determine whether to invest in the region or in the state, and promoting technology transfer.

(7)  To perform any activity necessary to qualify as a “Louisiana research park” and to have a “qualified technology fund” as defined in La. Rev. Stat. 51:1923.

(8)  To perform any activity necessary to be a “research and development park” and operate a “park area” as defined in La. Rev. Stat. 17:3389.

(9)  To conduct activities that address natural or environmental issues that impact community safety and the economic climate of the region, including the regionalization of emergency response systems.

(10)  To evaluate the industrial and social climates of foreign communities to determine whether it is conducive to expansion of industries of the region to such communities.

(11)  To establish formal partnership agreements with foreign communities that have mutual economic and industrial interests with companies in the region and the state.

(12)  To conduct activities that retain and enhance existing businesses and industries in the region and the state through research and development and that diversify the economy to include technology and knowledge-based businesses and industries.

(13)  To promote and conduct activities to train the existing labor force in technology and to recruit labor from other states, particularly former Louisiana residents, for high technology businesses and industries.

(14)  To conduct activities for any purpose or pursuant to any other authorization set forth in this Subpart which capitalize on the state’s assets, including its natural resources and its people; maximize the benefits of the state’s resources by promoting value-added products and a qualified labor force; match the competencies of the labor force with the market demands; and promote the coordination of information between employers, potential employees, and sources of employee training and recruitment to match employer needs and employee skills.

Acts 2004, No. 672, §1, eff. July 5, 2004.