The cities of Minneapolis, St. Paul and Rochester are seeking as much as $35 million in state funding to develop their fledgling biotechnology-industry districts. The proposals, submitted this fall as part of the preliminary requests for Governor Pawlenty’s capital spending process, seek funding to raise Minnesota’s profile in the biotechnology industry. Minnesota is frequently overlooked on many lists of key biotech hubs, but the state has made progress recently. In Rochester, the University of Minnesota and the Mayo Clinic are working to establish a partnership centered around genomics research. The city is also planning a $21 million bioscience development center, and seeking $9 million in funding for that effort. The 75,000 square-foot facility, close to the genomics research center, would provide facilities for both established biotech firms and startups, and “would have an excellent chance to attract and expand new bioscience companies in Minnesota,” according to the city’s proposals. Rochester officials didn’t return calls for comment on the project. In the Twin Cities, the funding requests also deals with a partnership -- one between Minneapolis and St. Paul, cities that historically haven’t been the most cooperative of partners when it comes to pursuing economic-development goals. But in this case, officials said both parties are working with the University of Minnesota to tie together their respective bioscience corridors into a cohesive whole. St. Paul’s efforts have so far yielded more fruit; this year marked the opening of University Enterprise Laboratories, a venture between the city and the U of M to foster fledgling biotech companies . The incubator (known as UEL) sits close to the Minneapolis border, and only a few blocks away from one of Minneapolis’ own biotech districts -- the university is also nearby. That confluence forms the base of the cities’ proposals, which include millions to fund new transportation infrastructure to connect and serve existing and future biotech programs.
