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	Adding a Fourth Leg to the Kansas Economy KBA awards $40.1 million in new investments Lawrence-based IdentiGEN lands Canadian customer Kansas emphasizes importance of federal R&D funding Construction companies learn about NBAF building process KBA teams up with Salina Chamber for stakeholder event   Archive >>

Adding a Fourth Leg to the Kansas Economy
by Sandra Lawrence, Kansas Bioscience Authority chairwoman

Agriculture, aviation, and energy have long served as bedrocks of the Kansas economy. Now we’re fortunate to be adding a fourth leg to our state’s economy as we assert national leadership in bioscience research and industry.

The importance of this addition is extraordinary. In a challenging and rapidly changing financial environment, we are nimbly building on our historical economic base to lead Kansas’ recovery — and ensure prosperity far into the future.

This diversification is healthy, and it is deliberate.

Five years ago, the legislature passed the visionary Kansas Economic Growth Act and created the Kansas Bioscience Authority to strategically invest $581 million in the growth of our bioscience sector.

I’m pleased to report a few of the remarkable results. In just the last year:

• A national site selection magazine highlighted Kansas’ success in its Top 10 list of states in the nation for biotechnology, alongside powerhouses such as California, Massachusetts, and Illinois.
• The federal government recognized Kansas’ enormous strength in animal health, selecting the state for a $650 million research laboratory that will protect the American food supply and agriculture economy. Commercialization of products from this lab will further bolster the animal health corridor that is already home to 34 percent of the $16.8 billion global animal health industry.
• With its rich concentration of clinical research organizations, top-ranked school
  of pharmacy, and other assets, Kansas is significantly increasing its investment in drug discovery and delivery to accelerate the speed with which companies can get new drugs to market.

We are creating an environment for success, and bioscience researchers and businesses are making great things happen. KBA support has helped organizations create 1,100 jobs; make $94 million in capital expenditures; attract $38 million in research funding; and attract nearly $12 million in equity investments.

Indeed, as other states pull back from innovation investments, Kansas is continuing to vault ahead — at just the right time in the competitive marketplace.

We are doing this by focusing on the state’s areas of existing bioscience strength, and we are doing it in a way that positions Kansas to address national challenges in areas ranging from bioenergy to biomaterials to drug delivery and development.

At the core of the effort is the goal of getting the best possible return on investment for Kansans, both in economic terms and in quality of life advancements. The result will be a dynamic 21st century Kansas economy, and that’s not just good news today, that’s good news any day.