In 2005, a team of community leaders in Lawrence-Douglas County (LDC) assembled to identify economic development opportunities in the area. It concluded that leveraging and promoting University of Kansas (KU) life sciences research and commercialization was central to achieving this goal.
The BTBC was identified as a way to achieve this goal and expand the local economy. By pooling local resources from the University of Kansas, City of Lawrence, Douglas County, Lawrence Chamber of Commerce, and the Kansas Bioscience Authority, the BTBC was able to construct state-of-the-art wet laboratory and office space to attract high growth startup and emerging companies. As these companies grow, they create high-quality, high-paying jobs which in turn increase the local tax base.
