ST. LOUIS REGION IS THE BIOBELT

Task Force Announces Results of Battelle Study; Unveils New Branding Campaign As First Step Toward Completing Study Recommendations

ST. LOUIS (Sept. 11, 2000) - In the 1900s, the dominant St. Louis industries were transportation and textiles. Fifty years later, they were defense production and aerospace development. In the 21st century, a recent study has confirmed that the St. Louis region is the BioBelt: The Center of Plant and Life Sciences. In a study commissioned by the St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association (RCGA), the Danforth Foundation and Civic Progress, the Battelle Memorial Institute identified the St. Louis area's plant and life sciences core competencies; benchmarked the region against other high tech regions in the U.S. and abroad; identified the region's strengths, weaknesses and opportunities; and developed a comprehensive set of strategies and actions. Implementation of these strategies can make St. Louis the leading international center in plant sciences and a major center in the life sciences. This set of strategies builds on the region's assets - its comparative advantages - by strengthening its research base, finding innovative ways to turn science into technology, as well as commercializing technology in both existing and new entrepreneurial-driven firms. Five strategies are proposed which address image, entrepreneurial culture, intellectual capital, business climate and workforce. Twenty actions, along with resources, and time frames are identified for implementing these strategies. Based on the results of the study, the RCGA and its business and civic partners have taken immediate action to begin implementing the first of the Battelle study's recommendations, establishing a national and international image for St. Louis as the leading center in plant sciences and a major center in life sciences. The BioBelt brand, logo and tagline, "The Center of Plant and Life Sciences," was developed by a regional communications task force, including representatives from several of the region's leading institutions: Washington University in St. Louis, the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, Missouri Botanical Garden, Missouri Technology Corporation, Monsanto Company, Nidus Center for Scientific Enterprise, RCGA and three marketing services firms supporting the branding effort. "St. Louis no longer needs to be referred to as the 'Silicon Valley of the Midwest,'" said Dr. Robert Calcaterra, president and CEO of the Nidus Center for Scientific Enterprise. "We have our own identity now, and the BioBelt name more accurately describes the St. Louis region's 21st century industrial strengths." The Battelle study compared plant and life sciences activity in the St. Louis region with Baltimore/Washington; Boston; Philadelphia/Princeton; Raleigh-Durham; San Diego; San Francisco; Seattle; Israel and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. The study found that the region is second only to Saskatoon in plant sciences and that St. Louis is highly competitive with all the benchmarked areas in life sciences. "The Battelle study reveals the potential leadership of St. Louis in plant and life sciences that was envisioned when the Danforth Plant Science Center was established in 1998," said Dr. Roger N. Beachy, president. "Implementation of the regional plan proposed by the study will require investment of time and resources, but promises great rewards for the economic growth of the region, as well as real and measurable impacts on the nutrition and health of humankind around the globe. The strengths of the scientific community coupled with the commitment of the region to make St. Louis a truly outstanding region for plant and life sciences were key factors in my decision to accept the position as the founding president of the Danforth Center." The study also singled out the region's outstanding educational institutions for their extensive plant and life sciences research programs totaling $362 million. For example, according to the Battelle study: "The region has two world class research universities in Washington University, with $235 million in plant sciences/life sciences research expenditures (65 percent of the total regional R&D expenditure), and the University of Missouri-Columbia, with close to $99 million." Additionally, Washington University's Genome Sequencing Center was lauded as the St. Louis region's principal R&D strength. Other regional universities make up the remainder of the investment. Battelle identified five specific short- and long-term strategies for the St. Louis region to build on its strong plant and life sciences foundation and expand its global leadership position. They are: Establish a national and international image for St. Louis as the leading center in plant sciences and a major center in life sciences; Build an entrepreneurial culture that supports and nurtures new, young firms in plant and life sciences; Take advantage of the region's intellectual capital resources to capture its commercial potential and applications locally; Ensure a progressive business climate to foster and sustain the growth of the region's plant and life sciences industries; Build, attract and retain a quality workforce. "The RCGA and a variety of industry and community leaders are working now on short- and long-term action steps to implement all five strategies," said Richard C. D. Fleming, president and chief executive officer of the RCGA. "We know these goals won't be achieved overnight, but we have a great number of people committed to a deliberate, thoughtful strategy that will make St. Louis a world leader and ensure continued growth in this attractive employment sector." Fortunately, St. Louis has already moved forward on several initiatives that are important to accomplishment of these strategies including the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, Nidus Center for Scientific Enterprise, the Center for Emerging Technologies, the Missouri Technology Park, the Technology Gateway Alliance and the World Agricultural Forum. The Battelle Memorial Institute is the world's largest non-profit research and development organization. Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, Battelle undertakes contract R&D for the Fortune 500 firms and manages a number of Federal laboratories including Pacific Northwest Laboratories, Brookhaven, and Oak Ridge. Battelle's Technology Partnership Practice, based in Cleveland, Ohio, provides assistance in strategy design and implementation, program assessment, and partnerships to leading universities, regions and states across the U.S. The RCGA is the chamber of commerce and economic development organization for the 12-county bi-state region.The RCGA's membership constitutes 40 percent of the regional workforce. Its mission is to unite the region's business community and to engage dynamic business and civic leadership to develop and sustain a world-class economy and community. EDITOR'S NOTES: For a downloadable version of the Battelle study results, visit www.stlrcga.org. For additional information on the Battelle Memorial Institute, visit www.battelle.org. For more information on BioBelt and links to several organizations in the BioBelt, visit www.biobelt.org.