With the foundation laid, the floor-to-ceiling windows installed and the lights turned on, the Barnes Center for Biotechnology and Nanotechnology looked primed and ready to innovate when university officials and economic development representatives cut the ribbon on June 18. But with the fanfare gone, now comes the hard part: filling the building.
At the time of the ribbon cutting, the Barnes Center had nearly 75 percent of tenant space filled with businesses working to increase technology research and commercialization for Western PA and the rest of the state. Clarion projects that roughly 84 percent of the building will be full by September. But Barnes Center director Robert Huemmrich says the biggest jobs now are not attracting new companies, but moving the old ones in comfortably. Two of them–Clarion Research Group and NanoBlox–have already requested expansions to their original offices, which should be completed by the end of the summer.
These companies are just in the process of getting everything set up, says Huemmrich. In a few months, they will be in full swing as far as research goes.
Located in both a Keystone Innovation Zone and a Keystone Opportunity Zone, the Barnes Center gained access to several steep business incentives like a 50 percent tax credit on increased yearly revenues to startup technology firms for eight years and tenant tax exemption from state and local taxes for 10 years. Plus, with local economic support organizations like the Small Business Development Center and Trinity Point Development Corporation right on the first floor, tenants will never be far from their community resources as they get research and commercialization projects rolling in their brand new home.
The SBDC has been here since November, right on the ground floor, thats a given, says Huemmrich. Its great to have that proximity for all our clients. It helps a lot.
This leaves Huemmrich with 2,500 square feet remaining on the third floor. The building has received an additional $850,000 in financing to add a flex lab where researchers can come, rent short-term office and lab space, and add critical research hours to their projects. Between the companies, the flex lab for professors and researchers and the centers various internship programs, the Barnes Center hopes to meet all levels of biotech and nanotech research needs for the university, the region and beyond.
When people get here, they are in the process of commercializing their research, to bolster research, says Huemmrich. This is not a basic research university lab; that is over on campus.
Source: Robert Huemmrich, Barnes Center
Writer: John Steele