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July 2008 |
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Come Home to Success in Kansas
by Sandra Lawrence, KBA Chairwoman
If you’re looking for a place where innovation thrives, support is abundant, and bioscience growth is a top priority, it’s time to come home to Kansas.
Researchers here are developing and improving the delivery of pharmaceuticals to support better health and fight disease. Bioenergy enterprises are forging ahead with exciting new technologies that will allow us to better meet our nation’s energy needs in a responsible and effective manner. Our plant and animal health sectors continually expand on their already stellar reputations, while we also build on our strength in biomaterials by leveraging the state’s unique areas of expertise.
In areas as diverse as drug discovery and delivery; animal health; biofuels; biocomposites; and plant biology — Kansas is the place to be for success.
Investing in success
Success doesn’t happen by accident, so Kansas has worked diligently and strategically to create an environment in which bioscience can grow at all points of the business cycle — from research and development to commercialization to expansion.
The Kansas Bioscience Authority is one of the ways the state is investing in bioscience success. Last year, the KBA committed more than $31 million to 26 promising bioscience projects; for a total of $56 million since the authority’s inception.
KBA investments have helped attract foreign companies looking to establish North American headquarters. They have supported growth in the Kansas City Animal Health Corridor, whose companies account for 34 percent of sales in the $16.8 billion global animal health market. And they are leading some of the nation’s eminent scholars to choose Kansas as home.
With our assistance, we aim to help researchers and businesses attract other investments in their work. We want our contribution to matter — to be a dealmaker, not merely back-up funds — so you can achieve your business and research goals.
Advancing Kansas’ national leadership
Kansas is building on its existing success and making the state a national bioscience leader. Last year, for example, the federal government selected Kansas as one of five finalists in the nation for a prestigious $451 million biodefense laboratory. The state’s inclusion on this select list illustrates the growing reputation of Kansas as a top-tier bioscience state.
Through the KBA, the state is making a groundbreaking commitment to expand on this success. We plan to invest approximately $581 million in bioscience over the next 10 years or so. And since we are an independent entity of the state, governed by a board of directors comprised of prominent local and national leaders in business, agriculture, finance and academia, we are nimble and aggressive in meeting the needs of the always changing bioscience industry.
This is a place of seamless collaboration where people work together to assist researchers and businesses looking to grow. We have been able to form unique partnerships within the public and private sectors, including universities, research scientists, commercial businesses, private investors, venture capitalists, and government officials. This spirit of collaboration is at the core what we do, and it allows us to accelerate the growth of bioscience in our state.
Sandra Lawrence
chairwoman, Kansas Bioscience Authority
