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Press Release
HERSHEY CENTER FOR APPLIED RESEARCH CELEBRATES GRAND OPENING
PA “poised to lead the nation in bioscience research,” says Gov. Rendell
Thursday, May 31, 2007
HERSHEY, Pa. (May 30, 2007) – It’s the beginning of a new era of research and commercialization activities in South Central Pennsylvania. That’s what members of Pennsylvania’s academic, industrial and economic development communities celebrated on Wednesday in a ceremony to mark the opening of Building One of the Hershey Center for Applied Research. The work of the facility’s tenants will focus on science-based and high technology research and commercialization activities.
The event was highlighted by a speech by Dennis Yablonsky, secretary of Pennsylvania’s Department of Community and Economic Development. During the ceremony, the research park’s first tenant, Apogee Biotechnology Corporation, was announced. Apogee is a privately-held company that utilizes computational modeling and medicinal chemistry to identify new drugs for the treatment of chronic and life-threatening diseases.
Located adjacent to Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and Penn State College of Medicine in Hershey, Building One of the Hershey Center for Applied Research is an 80,448 square-foot facility that provides the highest quality facilities and services to researchers and emerging, growing and mature businesses. The building includes the region’s only fully prepared wet lab, dry lab and office space, as well as conference rooms and access to core facilities and equipment provided by the Medical Center.
“I'm enormously proud to mark this achievement," Governor Edward G. Rendell said. “Pennsylvania is poised to lead the nation in bioscience research, development and business. I congratulate the center and look forward to a continuing record of cutting edge research and vital economic development.”
Penn State Hershey Medical Center and the College of Medicine have committed to lease over 33,000 square feet for the expansion of the college’s Department of Pharmacology and Office of Technology Development.
“Our partnership with the Hershey Center for Applied Research will enable us to have access to additional state-of-the-art laboratory facilities that are critically needed to attract internationally renowned faculty and research grants to the Penn State Hershey Medical Center and College of Medicine,” said Harold L. Paz, dean, Penn State College of Medicine and chief executive officer, Penn State Hershey Medical Center.
In keeping with the research park’s goal of improving life through research, environmentally-sensitive processes and plans were implemented throughout the construction process. Green building practices were employed and a stream which runs through the site has been preserved and incorporated in the landscape of the 165-acre campus.
A historic farmhouse, built in the mid-1850s and last used as a residence for students of the Milton Hershey School, has been preserved and plans are underway for it to potentially house a coffee house and sandwich shop that will service the research park. Plans are also underway to renovate an adjacent barn which could house instructional labs for the Milton Hershey School students and other students in the region.
Though current plans focus only on the development and success of the first building, the research park, capable of attracting research companies from outside the region and creating hundreds of high-paying jobs, could someday include up to 12 buildings totaling approximately 1.2 million square feet.
“We’ve talked with potential tenants from Pennsylvania, outside Pennsylvania and even outside the United States. That’s the type of attraction the research park has,” said Hershey Center for Applied Research Executive Director Laura Butcher. “The companies are drawn to the facility because of the state-of-the-art lab facilities as well as access to Penn State College of Medicine’s research, equipment and facilities. The interest we’ve received thus far is also a testament to the quality of life and competitive cost of doing business that the Capital Region provides.”
The research park is a project of Maryland-based development firm, Wexford Science & Technology. Supporting organizations include the Harrisburg Regional Chamber and Capital Region Economic Development Corporation, Hershey Trust Company as Trustee for Milton Hershey School, and the Life Sciences Greenhouse of Central Pennsylvania, an organization that was formed to provide start-up money and business support services to early-stage life sciences companies. The land on which the research park resides is part of the Harrisburg Market Keystone Innovation Zone and is owned by Hershey Trust Company as Trustee for the Milton Hershey School.
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The mission of the Hershey Center for Applied Research is to provide the highest quality facilities and services to science-based and high technology companies and organizations to support their emergence, growth and success in the global marketplace; encourage the creation of new businesses through the transfer of technology and business skills among university, industry, government and non-profit institutions; and generate technology-based economic development in South Central Pennsylvania. For more information about the research park, visit www.HersheyResearch.com.
Wexford Science+Technology
7312 Parkway Dr.
Hanover, Maryland 21076
t 410.579.4005
f 410.579.4890