A rendering of the future innovation campus in Topeka, Kan. Image courtesy The City of Topeka Master Plan A large-scale animal health innovation campus is taking shape in the Sunflower State. GO Topeka, the economic development group for Kansas’ capitol city, has selected two national real estate developers to identify a site that will be home to Plug and Play’s Animal Health/Ag Tech Startup Accelerator program. “Once we secured the… program, it became our responsibility to devise a long-term strategy that supports the infrastructure of Topeka’s innovation scene,” says Greater Topeka Partnership’s senior vice president of innovation, Katrin Bridges. “This means finding the best setting to develop our innovation campus.” First announced last summer, the city’s partnership with the global innovation platform will bring eight to 10 start-ups to Topeka, Kan., every six months, Plug and Play says, adding those selected will go through three-month “accelerator” programs aimed at helping the businesses get off the ground by providing mentorship, resources, and office space. “Plug and Play is excited to see Topeka moving forward on building their innovation campus,” says the company’s director of corporate partnerships, Stephen Fay. “Start-ups thrive when communities provide intentional space for coworking and collaboration. Topeka’s commitment to pursue this concept is precisely why we chose to partner with them, and we are excited to watch this project develop.” Clark Enersen Partners and BioRealty—national real estate developers with expertise in scientific research parks—have been selected to identify and evaluate prospective locations. Initial findings are expected to be presented this winter.
