Dr. Jim Spigarelli of Midwest Research Institute (MRI) and Tracy Taylor of Kansas Technology Enterprise Corp. (KTEC) lead the discussion on biotechnology advancements in the bi state area.

Although Joan Hunt gave much credit to KCALSI for the change in environment, she also gave a good deal of credit to KTEC, especially in its work with the Kansas Legislature in passing the Kansas Economic Growth Act.

“We believe very much in regional collaboration,” confirmed Tracy Taylor of KTEC. The most significant outcome of that collaboration has been the award-winning legislation to which Joan Hunt alluded. KTEC played a key role in researching and writing that legislation as well as in getting it passed. Taylor estimates that it will generate $500-$600 million in relevant revenues during the next ten years and will help the new Kansas Bioscience Authority establish itself as a real force for added growth.

Relative Progress

A second and related question was how well has the greater Kansas City area fared in comparison with other aspiring regional centers.

“We’re looking forward to participation in the Kansas Bioscience Authority,” commented Gerald “Skip” Loper, associate vice president for Research at Wichita State University. He noted that other regions are also making large investments in biosciences, and he believes that the competition will be good for everyone.

“KCALSI has done a great job of getting things rolling,” cautioned Tom Krol, director of corporate development for CyDex, “but it is going to take time.” He related, for instance, that CyDex has had to go outside the area to find research dollars. He argued for the need to build on the existing research base to create an infrastructure for small start-up companies.

“Others are moving forward and moving forward rapidly,” observed Ted Knous, Ph.D., associate vice provost for Research at Kansas University Medical Center. “We have established good communications and an appreciation of the players, but we can’t rest very long where we are. Otherwise we will lose out.”

Comparatively, Bill Duncan noted, the area is likely among the top 30 life science centers in the country, but more to the point perhaps, it is viewed as being among the ten most rapidly emerging such centers. Jim Spigarelli likened the Kansas City area bioscience effort to a small market baseball team, one that’s doing well in its division and getting ready to burst out. He described Bill Duncan as an “excellent catalyst” and then offered an aptly droll scientific definition of catalyst as a force that “promotes reactions but is not used up in the process.” “Only our resources are limited,” Spigarelli added, “not our vision.”

Roadmaps

Kansas City Area Life Sciences Institute President Bill Duncan discusses the advancements in his organization and the growing alliances forming throughout the region.

Tracy Taylor observed that the regional bioscience entities are using the Washington-based firm, New Economy Strategies, to help develop business strategies for the area. He questioned how they were progressing.

Bill Duncan explained, KCALSI is developing business plans for six different areas, including animal health, an IT-driven initiative called “Health Metroplex,” hot team initiatives in cancer, neuroscience, and cardiovascular disease, as well as a bio-pharma network. For the record, “hot teams” are typically composed of 12 to 15 key people in a given area whose task it is to help develop an effective “roadmap.”

In Kansas, hot teams are also studying six key areas to help the state’s Bioscience Authority spend its money wisely. They include: advanced materials and medical devices; animal sciences; biomass, biofuels, biomaterials and other environmental applications; drug discovery and delivery; health-related information technology; and plant sciences.