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K-State business and research hub gets new name

Kansas State University and the KSU Foundation have announced a new name for their partnership called the Edge Collaboration District at K-State, a hub created to inspire industry collaboration and includes more than a dozen industry partners.

Kansas State University and the KSU Foundation announced on Monday the name of a new business and research hub for their partnership, the Edge Collaboration District at K-State.

The hub was formerly known as the North Campus Corridor, the new name reflecting the strategic move beyond a geographical name to encompass a growing community of diversified corporate, technical and research partners, according to a Monday news release from KSU.

The Edge Collaboration District is where industry, K-State research and the creation of workforce talent come together to produce meaningful innovations and real outcomes for Kansas and beyond, the release said, inspired by the university’s land-grant mission.

Involved in the hub are more than a dozen industry partners and six academic colleges, the partnership expected to expand to include more partners.

These partnerships and $2 billion of current and planned infrastructure investment in the district will further inspire industry collaboration along the northern edge of campus, the release said, which includes the K-State Research Park, K-State Office Park, National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility, Biosecurity Research Institute, the College of Veterinary Medicine, the College of Agriculture’s Grain Science and Industry Complex and more.

“Kansas State University has the expertise, the drive for innovation, and the collaborative relationships with industry and government leaders to create extraordinary benefit to Kansans and the country,” said K-State President Richard Myers. “The motivation behind the Edge Collaboration District reinforces K-State’s resolve to be a leader in research and talent development. Our combined assets and expertise have earned K-State the reputation of the Silicon Valley for global food, health and biodefense.”

KSU Foundation CEO and President Greg Willems expects the hub to eventually reach further than just the region and state.

“The Edge Collaboration District makes clear our intention to become the premier industry-serving research university in the Midwest and support regional, state and national economies by welcoming top-tier partners to make their home here at Kansas State University,” Willems said.

By 2035, around 5,000 jobs are expected to be housed in the Edge Collaboration District.