Mid-Central Research and Outreach Center Will Soon be a Reality on Campus

10.2008: The Department of Employment and Economic Development recently announced that a $1.25 million Bioscience Business Development Public Infrastructure grant has been awarded to the City of Willmar, to be used for renovations to an existing building on the MinnWest Technology Campus. The new facility will be called the “Mid-Central Research and Outreach Center.”  

The University of Minnesota plans to operate the facility and provide faculty and graduate students to  oversee the research. St. Cloud State University will take the lead for MnSCU and MinnWest Technology Campus will be providing a dollar-for-dollar match to be used to purchase equipment for the laboratory.

Robert Jones, U of M Senior Vice President said that the facility will provide a "strategic opportunity" for the University to "leverage its resources" to create a presence in Willmar and provide technical support that will "drive innovation" into the private sector.

The research and development that is conducted at the Mid-Central Research and Outreach Lab will be paid for by biotechnology businesses, such as pharmaceuticals, renewable energy, and agribusiness. The facility will be especially beneficial to startup or small bioscience companies that may not otherwise be able to afford to do research independently.  

Steve Salzer, general manager of MinnWest, said that this collaboration is what we had in mind all along for the campus.  It is a a perfect match-up.

Jim Sieben, president of MinnWest said he's not aware of another example in Minnesota where private industry, public or higher education and a community have collaborated so closely.

The partnership will provide a good opportunity for the University to work together with MnSCU and private industries, while giving students the type of experience that they need to be better employees. Businesses in Greater Minnesota will have the opportunity to use the service laboratory and tap into the expertise of the school faculty and researchers.  This could help increase the number of bioscience businesses in the community and region.

The Mid-Central Research and Outreach Center will bring 25-30 new jobs to the campus, and attract technology businesses here, which can create high paying jobs for the Willmar area.  The research center will be a "huge catalyst" to the local economy.

Salzer said that without the grant, MinnWest would not have been able to fund this project.

Renovation of a 3-story building on campus will begin soon and the facility will hopefully be operational by the fall of 2010.

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