(WEST PALM BEACH) The Business Development Board of Palm Beach County welcomes the Max Planck Society in the wake of the historic final approval and affirmative vote of the Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners, today in West Palm Beach, Florida.

The Business Development Board began the recruitment of the Max Planck Society two years ago. Palm Beach County Commissioners approved the allocation of $86.9 million to build and operate a biomedical research facility located near another researcher, Scripps Florida at Florida Atlantic University’s campus in Jupiter. Earlier this year, on March 12, the Florida Governor’s Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development signed an agreement for $94 million from the state’s Innovation Incentive Fund.

The Max Planck Florida Institute will be the 80th facility for the international research, the first in the US. The Jupiter facility will focus on bio imaging research projects and will create more than 1800 jobs directly and indirectly over the next 20 years. Its impact to Palm Beach County may be measured in many ways.

Kelly Smallridge, President and CEO of the Business Development Board says,“The potential benefit of bringing Max Planck to our community will be measured in historic proportions. As economic developers, nothing could ring better for our economy. Max Planck will create a broader economic base for Palm Beach County, a wealth of new knowledge-based qualified job opportunities will follow, and our children will be exposed to cutting edge scientific opportunities. The world will see that Palm Beach County taxpayers, even in difficult times, support this vision.”

With the final approval and vote of the Palm Beach County Commission, Max Planck Florida Institute will begin the process of moving into its temporary FAU campus facility while permanent laboratories are built. The Max Planck Florida Institute will join Scripps Florida on the FAU campus in one of the most impressive research collaborations in the US.

“This is an achievement of international proportions. I believe it is one of the greatest days in the history of Palm Beach County. Palm Beach County taxpayers will receive world wide attention with their support of this project. By any measure it is considered a jewel in the crown of the biotech industry,” said Smallridge. “Today’s announcement is one of the most significant economic developments we’ve had in Palm Beach County and further solidifies the development of a bio science business cluster. We thank the Board of County Commissioners for their vision.”

The Business Development Board of Palm Beach County is the official public/private economic development organization for Palm Beach County and Enterprise Florida. Founded in 1982 as a not-for-profit corporation, our primary purpose is to attract and retain new industry, business investment, high quality jobs and workforce development through corporate relocations, expansions and international trade. Additional information can be found at the BDB’s Web site, www.bdb.org.

Denise Jakows, Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations
561-835-1008
561-389-1434 (cell)
djakows@bdb.org
July 22, 2008