The Kansas City Star, Mo., Jason Gertzen Column: St. Louis Gets Spotlight
By Jason Gertzen, The Kansas City Star, Mo.
Jun. 13–Kansas City biotechnology backers don’t have to look far to find ideas for honing their economy-boosting strategies.
North Carolina’s Research Triangle and the West Coast have bustling biotech hubs, but hot tips are only 250 miles away.
St. Louis has emerged as one of the nation’s top bioscience centers.
“In St. Louis you have this energetic environment,” said Dan Getman, a Pfizer Inc. executive overseeing his company’s substantial research operation on the eastern side of Missouri. “We have got a lot of good science in corporations, research institutes or in universities. We are trying to create an environment where these life sciences companies can thrive and grow.”
Getman and his St. Louis peers certainly have made a good start toward their goal.
After intensifying the emphasis on biotech in recent years, the region is home to about 30 fledgling life sciences companies that have raised more than $300 million in investment backing, according to the St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association. In all, the St. Louis area has close to 400 plant and life sciences ventures that employ more than 15,000 workers.
Getman spent a couple of days in Kansas City last week meeting with officials at Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences, Saint Luke’s Hospital and the Kansas City Area Life Sciences Institute.
He talked about Pfizer’s drug development efforts in Missouri, including a $200 million, four-story expansion project for drug-discovery researchers. It represents his company’s single largest research and development capital outlay this decade.
“We are making a significant investment in St. Louis and the state of Missouri,” Getman said.
A cluster of venture capital funds and wet lab incubators such as the Center for Emerging Technologies and the Nidus Center for Scientific Enterprise have contributed to St. Louis’ success. Cash-starved startups benefit from wet lab incubator facilities, which offer laboratories, office space and shared conference rooms at a reasonable cost, providing the young companies a better chance to get established.
Kansas City officials are working to fill these gaps, placing the need for a wet lab high on this region’s priority list.
“We have been worrying about a wet lab incubator for a number of years,” said Bill Duncan, president of the life sciences institute. “We are getting close.”
Getman’s visit and the travels of Kansas City officials to St. Louis are important. Duncan, who also serves as chairman of the Missouri Biotechnology Association, sees an increasing inclination among companies, research organizations and economic development specialists statewide to share ideas and possibly collaborate on projects.
“We get a considerable amount of interaction,” Duncan said.
To reach Jason Gertzen, call (816) 234-4899 or send e-mail to jgertzen@kcstar.com.
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Copyright (c) 2006, The Kansas City Star, Mo.
Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.
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