University Research Corridor to stimulate economy, Pfizer wet lab space tops agenda

During a speech at their conference on Monday, the University Research Corridor presidents announced several new initiatives intended to help invigorate Michigan's knowledge-based economy.

University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman, Wayne State University President Irvin D. Reid and Michigan State University President Lou Anna Simon outlined their vision of stimulating technology transfer and business development and increasing partnerships.

As far as business development goes, incubators are on the menu. U-M and Ann Arbor SPARK have transformed Pfizer's former Traverwood facility into a wet lab incubator. "Currently, no space exists in the Ann Arbor region that offers life science and biotechnology companies both infrastructure and room to grow; the wet lab incubator meets a unique and pressing need for these startups," said SPARK CEO Michael A. Finney in a statement. "The wet lab incubator space is affordable and organized -- ideal for emerging companies and entrepreneurs. The flexibility offered by the space is highly attractive to a growing company."

U-M medical researchers will move into 22,400 square feet of the space and SPARK will sublease up to 12,000 square feet to startup companies; the organization is working with more than 14 and has already signed three leases. Confirmed tenants include:

• OncoImmune Ltd., an Ohio-based company licensing patents from U-M and Ohio State University that plans to get started with three to four researchers; 

• SensiGen, LLC, a U-M spin-off working to improve the ability to diagnose early stage kidney disease and cervical cancer; and

• Genomatix Software, a new subsidiary of Munich, Germany-based Genomatix Software Gmch, occupies 900 square feet of the incubator but will move to another location outside the incubator later this year with expectations to have 40 employees within three years.

SPARK is starting up two additional office incubators, one in in Ann Arbor and another in Ypsilanti.

Another initiative is a partnership between U-M and WSU called STIET, a multi-disciplinary research program that will work with corporations to make the Internet faster, more secure and spam-free.

All three URC universities are dropping oars into the alternative energy pond. MSU established the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, WSU has the ever-busy NextEnergy and U-M, the Michigan Memorial Phoenix Energy Institute.

U-M and MSU also plan to open Detroit offices for research and outreach. "The URC has begun the long process of tearing down walls that divide us and our researchers are using technology to literally put us all in the same room," said Reid in a statement.

The presidents Monday released the first annual report on the progress of the URC. A pdf version of the report is available at: http://www.urcmich.org/commentary/2007AnnualReport.pdf.

Source: U-M
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh