Innovation & Job News

Pfizer lab in Plymouth to become Life Science and Innovation Center

Thursday, July 31, 2008

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Plymouth

Pfizer may have closed the doors on its Research and Development site in Ann Arbor but more and more of its assets, physical and intellectual, are staying put.

The latest Pfizer crossover is the company�s Plymouth facility. The state's 21st Century Jobs Fund plans to buy the complex for $1.5 million and turn it into Life Science and Innovation Center. It will help connect entrepreneurs, business accelerator organizations and local start-ups.

The center is backed with $3.5 million from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, Ann Arbor SPARK, Greater Wayne Economic Development and a private foundation. It will feature state-of-the-art lab facilities, along with business building services such as peer-to-peer mentoring and funding support.

The state will also give $150,000 loans to three businesses from its $8 million Company Formation and Growth Fund. The three companies are:

CeeTox, which specializes in-vitro toxicity screening of potential drug candidates and chemicals
Forensic Fluids, which focuses on oral fluid drug testing market
Unifab, a biomedical product firm

The money will go to Kalamazoo-based start-ups which will use it to hire at least three former Pfizer scientists.

Source: Ann Arbor SPARK
Writer: Jon Zemke