Challenges Remain for Kansas Bioscience Authority

By Laura Ziegler

Kansas City, MO – Governor Kathleen Sebelius told stakeholders in the Kansas Bioscience Authority yesterday that the public/ private partnership is a unique model nationally. But she says challenges remain for the authority to achieve its goals. More from Laura Ziegler.

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The Governor said that every state in the country is looking to the the future of the biosciences as a panacea for economic woes.

She said when she travels nationally she was reluctant to talk about the legislation that established created the Kansas Bioscience Authority in 2004. It's called the Kansas Economic Growth Act and it sets out a framework for national and regional leaders to create a plan to expand research and development, create new companies, and jobs in the field of biosciences.

She said the KBA was coming up on the second phase of its work now. The first phase was putting a strategic plan in place.

Governor Sebelius:
"AND I THINK THE STRATEGIC PLAN DESIGNED TO MAKE SOME BIG COMMITMENTS LOOK AT WHERE WE HAVE ASSETS WE HAVE THAT NOBODY ELSE IN THE COUNTRY HAS."

One of those commitments the Governor mentioned was the competition for the National Bio and Agro Defense Facility, a 450 million dollar federal facility. The Department of Homeland Sec is expected to announce later this week whether Kansas was one of 18 sites have been selected for further consideration.