Newswise — The University of North Dakota Research Foundation, a research and development partner of the University, invites the public to an open house and tours of its new $16-million-plus, 50,000-square-foot "REAC 1" building, which houses the Center of Excellence in Life Sciences and Advanced Technologies, from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., Monday, Feb. 16, at the REAC 1 building, 4201 James Ray Drive, on the western edge of the UND campus.
The public will be able to view first-hand the work and research that will be conducted within the REAC 1 walls, as well as interact with the various private-sector businesses and University divisions that call the building home. A dedication of the building will take place earlier in the day Monday.
REAC 1 also signals the brick-and-mortar launch of UNDRF's Research Enterprise and Commercialization (REAC) park, a tract of land bordered by North 42nd Street and Interstate 29 to the east and west, and University Avenue and DeMers Avenue to the north and south, where high-tech businesses can set up shop, grow and build production operations nearby.
"REAC 1 and the Center of Excellence in Life Sciences and Advanced Technologies, which the University of North Dakota Research Foundation and UND have developed on this campus, are concrete symbols of the strong multi-faceted partnerships that exist among the City of Grand Forks, the State of North Dakota and North Dakota's representation in Congress," said UND President Robert Kelley. " All have worked together to make this building a reality, setting the foundation for private-sector companies from across the nation, some from right here in Grand Forks and East Grand Forks, to partner with UND researchers and their students to get their innovations and creations patented and on the shelves of the American marketplace."
The companies within REAC 1 all have ties to UND researchers, scientists and students. They will include:
* Avianax, Inc., Grand Forks* NovaDigm Therapeutics, Inc., Los Angeles* Ideal Aerosmith, East Grand Forks* Alion Science and Technology, McLean, Va.* Laserlith Corp., Grand Forks* SUNRISE Renewables, Grand Forks* DMD, Grand Forks
UND units working with these private-sector companies, include:
* School of Engineering and Mines' (SEM) Engineered Surfaces Center* School of Medicine and Health Sciences' Department of Microbiology and Immunology* School of Medicine and Health Sciences' Department of Medial Education (UNDRF BORDERS) What made REAC 1 a reality is a strong partnership between North Dakota Gov. John Hoeven's Centers of Excellence for Economic Development program and the city of Grand Forks, with the Grand Forks Region Economic Development Corp., being an early active partner.
"The REAC 1 building is a prime example of the kind of top-notch research and development our Centers of Excellence can attract when we make the right investments," said Gov. John Hoeven. "When we bring together one of North Dakota's premiere campuses with first-class companies in a first-class facility, the result is a first-class research park that will provide good jobs and real opportunities for the men and women of North Dakota."
About $8.75 million of the cost to build REAC 1 was supplied through bank loans and bonds; the remainder came from investments by the Gov. Hoeven's Centers of Excellence program ($3.5 million), U.S. Economic Development Administration ($1.5 million), North Dakota Development Fund ($1 million), and the City of Grand Forks' Growth Fund ($500,000).
Sen. Byron Dorgan's vision for the Red River Valley Research Corridor also was critical to attracting private-sector companies to North Dakota. He helped secure funding for these companies to develop and make their products in the state.
"The dedication of the REAC 1 building marks another major milestone in the Red River Valley Research Corridor," said U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan. "This building features cutting-edge facilities for high-tech companies to utilize, creating unique job opportunities for many in the area. It already has a number of confirmed companies as tenants. REAC 1 is the beginning of a world-class research park in Grand Forks that will attract high-tech companies to locate in North Dakota creating more good-paying jobs."
Dorgan, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, has directed over $532 million to the Red River Valley Research Corridor since he created the initiative in 2002. A 2006 study by a NDSU researcher said the Research Corridor has generated $759 million in positive economic impact and added 10,600 jobs to the regional economy. Last fall, the Senator set a goal of boosting those job figures to 20,000 by the year 2015.
It's anticipated that as many as 120 new jobs will be created in Grand Forks within two to three years as a result of REAC 1 and the companies it hosts, according to Jim Petell, executive director of UNDRF. In addition, four new companies have been formed in North Dakota and some extend beyond the Red River Valley.
Petell points to the the synergies and "clusters" created when the public and private sectors work directly along side an institution such as UND, with its strong and established research base. These integrated partnerships are key in the formula for building sustainable research centers, he says.
The University supplies the intellectual and creative capital, UNDRF with its research infrastructure, REAC 1, drives product development with the University's private-sector partners, and it's all supported by investments from the city, state and federal government.
Among those who will most immediately benefit from these partnerships are UND students through potential research experience and job prospects.
"We need to educate them and provide real-world research experiences so we can help them succeed and stay here to work in these new companies that we're growing in North Dakota," Petell said.
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