business park in lawrence, ks
History & Mission
who we are
mission & vision
founding partners
what we do
our facilities
resident companies
history
passionate about the future of kansas
We’re deeply connected with the long-term economic growth and future of Kansas and its businesses. Our team of professionals are focused on helping technology & bioscience companies — no matter the size.
our calling
The KU Innovation Park Mission
Our mission is to create, recruit, grow and retain technology and bioscience businesses in northeast Kansas with the ultimate vision to build a more modern, resilient and diverse regional economy. We accomplish this through creating high-wage jobs and strategically developing the region’s high-growth, innovation-focused bioscience and technology industry clusters – all while leveraging the strengths of the University of Kansas as an affiliate.
KU Innovation Park embodies an entire community committed to innovation and economic development. The Park has become one of the fastest-growing business parks in Lawrence and Northeast Kansas.
our coalition
in collaboration with founding partners
The Park’s unique coalition model represents a decade-long public-private partnership among the City of Lawrence, Douglas County, the Chamber of Lawrence, and the University of Kansas.
Together, these four founding partners comprise the region’s most comprehensive economic development partnership, representing the interests and combined resources of regional government, business, and academic entities.
what we do
Customizable business services
KU Innovation Park is a community for cutting-edge researchers, business leaders, and creative entrepreneurs actively working to bring innovative ideas and solutions to commercial markets.
The experienced Park team provides a comprehensive range of business management assistance and services in addition to leasing highly-specialized wet lab, dry lab, and professional office space to bioscience and technology companies.
These services include:
market/technology validation
Student Business Analyst Support
Grant Support and Technical Assistance
Capital Strategy Formation
Finance/Accounting Services
Marketing Assistance
Founding Partner Connections
our facilities
Providing Customizable Spaces for Your Biggest Ideas
The Park’s facilities span three locations across Lawrence, with more to come as we work toward our 15-year plan. We designed our flexible business park spaces to be customizable to meet your company’s specific needs.
Main Facility
The Park’s Main Facility, situated on KU’s West Campus, is an ideal setting for startup companies to begin their journey, equipped with a variety of wet labs, dry labs, collaborative workspaces, and common areas.
Phase III
Our newest expansion facility, Phase III of the Park’s 2036 growth plan, offers cutting-edge laboratory accommodations, contemporary office environments, and collaborative workspaces. It’s the perfect choice for expanding companies in search of extra room as they outgrow our incubator facilities.
West
The Park’s West facility adds around 17,000 square feet of space conveniently located near multiple KU research facilities, including the KU Center for Environmentally Beneficial Catalysis. The facility strengthens the Park’s ties to ongoing research at KU through partnerships between projects.
resident companies
Resident companies range from small businesses and startups commercializing KU technologies to government agencies and the R&D arms of prominent industry leaders.
our team
The KU Innovation Park team draws on broad and diverse business experiences to provide mentorship, guidance, and ad hoc business services.
The park’s history
01.
How We Started
over a decade ago
Over a decade ago, KU Innovation Park’s founding partners came together to collaborate with a unified vision: to create, recruit, grow, and retain companies in Northeast Kansas.
The journey toward KU Innovation Park started in 2005, with the collaborative creation of the Lawrence-Douglas County Biosciences Authority. A few years later, construction started on what would become the Bioscience & Technology Business Center. This small bioscience incubator housed numerous startup companies, many based on the commercialization of University of Kansas research intellectual property. As its focus and footprint expanded, the area on KU’s West Campus developed into KU Innovation Park – a regional engine of commercialization, entrepreneurship, small business support, and industry-university collaboration.
02.
Our Unique Location
ku west campus
The Park’s underlying coalition and physical location on KU’s West Campus position it as the center point of a regional network supporting innovation-based economic growth.
One of the Park’s most unique advantages is its location on private land owned by the Kansas University Endowment Association directly adjacent to KU’s research circle. This is a dense concentration of bioscience research facilities and KU’s nationally recognized School of Pharmacy. The proximity to the university, with the retained independence and ability to remain entirely within the private sector, creates an ideal environment for commercializing university research and facilitating industry-university collaboration.
03.
Where We’re Going
the vision
The vision for KU Innovation Park over the next 15 years includes a full buildout of approximately 600,000-800,000 square feet over 10 buildings, home to 80 companies that will employ over 4,000 people with a direct annual payroll of $266 million.
We are dedicated to the continual enhancement of local infrastructure, nurturing talent, harnessing valuable resources, and providing unwavering business support. In addition to fostering the growth of startups, the Park is focused on recruiting larger firms, established industry leaders, and government agencies that wish to work close to startups and those seeking to leverage university resources. These employment opportunities predominantly comprise high-wage positions within scientific, technical, professional services, and management sectors. These roles are traditionally underrepresented in the region, signaling a vital and diversified contribution to the local economy.
The park’s history
Over a decade ago, KU Innovation Park’s founding partners came together to collaborate with a unified vision: to create, recruit, grow, and retain companies in Northeast Kansas.
The journey toward KU Innovation Park started in 2005, with the collaborative creation of the Lawrence-Douglas County Biosciences Authority. A few years later, construction started on what would become the Bioscience & Technology Business Center. This small bioscience incubator housed numerous startup companies, many based on the commercialization of University of Kansas research intellectual property. As its focus and footprint expanded, the area on KU’s West Campus developed into KU Innovation Park – a regional engine of commercialization, entrepreneurship, small business support, and industry-university collaboration.
The Park’s underlying coalition and physical location on KU’s West Campus position it as the center point of a regional network supporting innovation-based economic growth.
One of the Park’s most unique advantages is its location on private land owned by the Kansas University Endowment Association directly adjacent to KU’s research circle. This is a dense concentration of bioscience research facilities and KU’s nationally recognized School of Pharmacy. The proximity to the university, with the retained independence and ability to remain entirely within the private sector, creates an ideal environment for commercializing university research and facilitating industry-university collaboration.
The vision for KU Innovation Park over the next 15 years includes a full buildout of approximately 600,000-800,000 square feet over 10 buildings, home to 80 companies that will employ over 4,000 people with a direct annual payroll of $266 million.
We are dedicated to the continual enhancement of local infrastructure, nurturing talent, harnessing valuable resources, and providing unwavering business support. In addition to fostering the growth of startups, the Park is focused on recruiting larger firms, established industry leaders, and government agencies that wish to work close to startups and those seeking to leverage university resources. These employment opportunities predominantly comprise high-wage positions within scientific, technical, professional services, and management sectors. These roles are traditionally underrepresented in the region, signaling a vital and diversified contribution to the local economy.
build and grow your business.
Reach out to the KU Innovation Park team to learn how your vision can grow at our business park in Lawrence.
