97-11-07 Trustees: Science and Technology Campus Plan Presented SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CAMPUS PLAN PRESENTED TO TRUSTEES COLUMBUS -- Ohio State University officials say development of a Science and Technology Campus at the university would enhance students’ academic experiences, foster high-profile faculty research and attract more top scholars to the university, and provide economic development opportunities for the city of Columbus. The university’s Board of Trustees heard a proposal Friday (11/7) for development of the Science and Technology Campus (STC) in the southwest portion of Ohio State’s Columbus campus. The plan was developed by the not-for-profit Research Park Corp., which is governed by a Board of Directors composed of representatives from business, the community and the university. Under the proposal, the university would lease three land parcels and three buildings to the Research Park Corp. for 40 years as part of the development plan. The Research Park Corp. is expected to manage development and marketing of these properties under a plan that must be approved by the Board of Trustees. The proposal for development of the Science and Technology Campus calls for housing companies in existing buildings at 1929 Kenny Road and 1224 and 1275 Kinnear Road, with significant renovation and expansion proposed for 1275 Kinnear Road. The plan also proposes development of land parcels on the northeast and southeast corners of North Star and Kinnear roads, and on a parcel at the corner of Lane Avenue and Carmack Road. The Science and Technology Campus is expected to house high- profile Research and Development companies and businesses producing products and services derived from Ohio State and other local research. Supporters of the plan estimate that companies residing in the development will create at least 460 new, mostly high-salary jobs and produce 250 cooperative research relationships between the university and STC tenants within 12 years. Trustees are scheduled to vote on the plan in December. According to Alex Shumate, chair of the Board of Trustees, the proposal to develop a Science and Technology Campus reflects two critical growth forces in today’s economy -- technological innovation and entrepreneurship. “What the board is considering is a major investment in great ideas, through a strategy that will strengthen the quality of the undergraduate experience, expand opportunities for graduate and scholarly research, and contribute to the social and economic well-being of our community, state and nation,” Shumate said. The proposal was developed to remain consistent with the West Campus District Plan. The STC plan calls for a facility that serves four types of “customers,” ranging from fledgling, start-up companies to large, established enterprises, said Edward F. Hayes, vice president for research at Ohio State. The four real estate entities to be developed in the west campus area are: -- Business Technology Center tenant space for high potential start-up companies that need assistance to survive initially, and then to become sustainable businesses. -- Innovation Center space for small but growing tenant companies that operate within specialty and niche markets. These companies would produce custom- and small-order high value-added products and services. Both the Business Technology Center and Innovation Center would be located at 1275 Kinnear Road. -- Science Village multi-tenant space for high growth potential companies that have already undergone initial growth and need new, higher quality and better-configured facilities. Science Village also will attract the divisional or regional offices of national technology companies seeking a Columbus location as part of a growth and technology development strategy. This development is proposed to take place at the northeast and southeast intersections of Kinnear and North Star roads. -- “Stand Alone” buildings for larger companies that have close links with Ohio State, and for multi-tenant facilities constructed by private developers to meet the space needs of technology-based companies. Parcels on Lane Avenue and within Science Village will accommodate this kind of development. “Ohio State is an acknowledged leader in defining the future for public universities,” President E. Gordon Gee said. “Our willingness to invest in the potential of great ideas -- some of which might not bear fruit for years to come -- is a critical part of our leadership role. The Science and Technology Campus will contribute mightily to Ohio’s industrial advance. It will expand our ability to create new knowledge and to use that knowledge in ways that promote Ohioans’ economic and social well- being.” The Science and Technology Campus plan represents a cooperative effort designed to benefit the university and the community, said Ted Celeste, vice chair of the Board of Trustees and a member of the Research Park Corp. Board. “I think this is a fantastic opportunity for everybody,” Celeste said. “It’s an exciting process and development that serves as an extension of the university’s teaching, research and service missions. The Science and Technology Campus also will go a long way in showing how the benefits of higher education are real, relevant and reachable for all of our citizens.” Proponents of the Science and Technology Campus note its development would provide many new opportunities for faculty, researchers and students at Ohio State. “Research and the use of research findings has become one of the fundamental pillars of our technology-driven economy,” said Richard Sisson, senior vice president and provost. “This is why Ohio State’s technology transfer program is emerging as a leader among similar programs in peer universities.” More than a dozen technology-based companies already work out of the Business Technology Center, an Ohio Department of Development Thomas Edison Technology Program business incubator. Ohio State also has experienced success in programs that are located in the Science and Technology Campus area, such as the Ohio Supercomputer Center, the Center for Mapping and the ElectroScience Laboratory. Sisson also noted the enterprises enhance the education of students by giving them opportunities for experiential learning. President Gee told board members that one of the most important byproducts of university-based research is the new generation of scientists and engineers who can build upon past knowledge for future innovation. “This plan is built on conservative market and cost assumptions, based on considerable market research,” he said. “But we have high expectations for the performance of the Science and Technology Campus. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to invest in great ideas, and to make that investment in ways that contribute to the education of our students, create benefits for our faculty, produce results that are useful to established businesses and entrepreneurial ventures, promote regional economic development, and generate long-term financial benefits for the university.” According to Board Chair Shumate, “This plan confirms our belief that Ohio State’s greatness lies in our ability to create new knowledge and to use that knowledge for innovations that affect people’s lives in positive ways.” If the proposal is approved by trustees in December, implementation of the plan will begin in 1998. # Contact: David Allen, director of the Office of Technology Transfer, (614) 688-5744. [Submitted by: Von Vargas (vargas.12@osu.edu) Fri, 7 Nov 1997 16:51:13 -0500 (EST)] All documents are the responsibility of their originator.