Bioscience & Technology Business Center
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Location |
Lawrence, KS |
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Build to Scale Program |
Venture Challenge |
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Project Name |
Creation of the KU Innovation Park and i2i (Innovation-to-Industry Cluster Accelerator) |
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Award Amount |
Federal Share |
Local Match |
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$1.5 million |
$1.5 million |
The Bioscience & Technology Business Center (BTBC) will strengthen and expand its economic development coalition model and enhance its mission through the creation of the KU Innovation Park, a university-affiliated research park on the University of Kansas campus in Lawrence. To facilitate the rapid growth of the park and to support its mission, BTBC will formalize and expand its innovation, commercialization, and entrepreneurship support services under a new program: the Innovation-to-Industry Cluster Accelerator (i2i). Through i2i, the park will systematize and scale BTBC’s existing cluster-focused development strategy by creating hubs of research and commercialization resources around specific areas of technological innovation. Through these Innovation Hubs, university researchers, students, entrepreneurs, and public and private economic development resources will be tightly coordinated around the development of innovative technology solutions for specific market needs. Driving the development of these innovations will be Industry Clusters of related startups, established companies, and government agencies with shared interests in the technology solutions developed within the hubs. These entities will serve as market test beds, R&D partners, and sources of human and financial capital for the technology startups within the Hubs. By coordinating stakeholders from basic research stages through to market application, i2i will facilitate a more efficient and effective path to commercializing KU research and will foster the retention of KU graduates through the development of technology-driven industry clusters and their associated high-wage jobs, developed around the strengths of the university.