|
|
||||||||||
 | ||||||||||
| ||||||||||
| ||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||
|
7th
lowest business cost KPMG |
 |
|
 |
August 8, 2006 St. Louis Aiming to Become a Biotech Hub By CHRISTOPHER LEONARD Talent, R-Mo., spoke at a biotech conference hosted by Saint Louis University. In an interview, he cited work at the Missouri Botanical Gardens, the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center and Monsanto Co., among others, as evidence of the region's growing importance to the emerging area of biotechnology. “think we're realizing the vision many people had years ago about (St. Louis) being part of a biotech corridor," Talent said. Talent was among several state and federal leaders gathered at the conference aimed at both generating new ideas in biotechnology and promoting St. Louis and Missouri as a home for future developments. The meeting's theme was an old one for Missouri politicians, who have sought for years to forge partnerships between government and industry to help foster biotech companies in the state. Biotechnology includes a broad array of products and technology, from genetically engineered plants to pharmaceuticals. Sen. Kit Bond, R-Mo., said the federal government has invested millions to develop biotechnology in Missouri, including $31 million to help build the research-focused Life Sciences Center at the University of Missouri-Columbia. For years, state leaders have said public universities will play a key role in creating new biotech companies. This happens through "technology transfer," when broad research results in new ideas that can be commercialized. Gov. Matt Blunt is trying to boost technology transfer in Missouri. Last year he formed an advisory council on plant biotechnology to help fashion a plan for spawning more new businesses out of university research. The panel includes members from academic, industry and government circles. Bond wants to finance new biotechnology initiatives by selling part of the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority's portfolio. |
||||
