The Michigan State University Research Foundation (MSU Research Foundation) has officially broken ground on the Rosenberg Center, a $20 million, 65,000-square-foot innovation hub on Michigan State University’s East Lansing campus. I attended the groundbreaking ceremony, and it was wonderful to see the university, business leaders, and Michigan’s entrepreneurial community come together to celebrate this major investment in the region’s innovation economy. The facility is expected to open in summer 2027 and will bring startups, researchers, investors, and corporate partners together to accelerate the commercialization of new technologies.
The groundbreaking ceremony brought together MSU President Kevin Guskiewicz, members of the MSU Board of Trustees, community partners, and MSU Research Foundation leadership and board members. Attendees celebrated the milestone and toured the facility, where construction is already underway.
Located at 195 Crescent Road in East Lansing, the Rosenberg Center will serve as the new headquarters of the MSU Research Foundation and its affiliated organizations. The facility will also provide flexible innovation space for growing companies, entrepreneurs, researchers, and corporate partners seeking to collaborate with Michigan State University’s research community.
The project represents a significant investment in Greater Lansing’s growing innovation ecosystem. By bringing early-stage companies, established businesses, university researchers, and investment organizations together under one roof, the center is designed to accelerate the development and commercialization of promising technologies while encouraging new business formation and regional economic development.
The Rosenberg Center will be developed through the adaptive reuse of the former IBM and MSU Federal Credit Union building. The renovated facility will feature modern office suites, collaborative workspaces, conference facilities, event venues, and startup incubation space designed to accommodate high-tech and high-growth businesses.
The building will house several of the MSU Research Foundation’s innovation-focused organizations, including Spartan Innovations, Red Cedar Ventures, Michigan Rise, and MSU Research Parks. Bringing these organizations together is expected to create new opportunities for entrepreneurs to access mentorship, investment capital, research partnerships, and other resources necessary to develop and scale their businesses.
The Rosenberg Center will also strengthen the emerging innovation district surrounding Spartan Village on Crescent Road, which includes the worldwide headquarters of TechSmith Corporation. The Foundation envisions the area becoming a destination for entrepreneurs, research organizations, corporate innovation teams, and investors interested in Michigan’s technology ecosystem.
The facility is expected to support several important industries, including advanced manufacturing, agricultural technology, biomedicine, biotechnology, and sustainability technologies. These sectors represent opportunities to translate university research into commercially viable products, establish new companies, attract investment, and create jobs throughout Michigan.
The center is named in honor of the late Dr. Barnett Rosenberg, the MSU scientist whose discovery of cisplatin revolutionized cancer treatment. His groundbreaking research led to the development of one of the most significant medical innovations to emerge from a university research laboratory.
Cisplatin received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1978 and became a cornerstone of cancer treatment. The drug and subsequent platinum-based therapies have improved outcomes for millions of patients worldwide. Naming the innovation facility after Rosenberg connects one of MSU’s most consequential scientific discoveries with the next generation of researchers and entrepreneurs.
The Rosenberg Center will build on the MSU Research Foundation’s existing efforts to support research commercialization and entrepreneurial development throughout Michigan. The Foundation contributes more than $15 million annually to the university through grant programs, while its entrepreneurial programming, early-stage investments, and research parks help promising technologies move from university laboratories into the marketplace.
Through the new center, the Foundation aims to expand collaboration between university researchers, startups, established corporations, and investment partners while strengthening Greater Lansing’s position as a destination for technology commercialization, venture formation, and corporate research.
KEY QUOTES:
“The Rosenberg Center represents more than a building. It is a statement about Michigan State University’s commitment to discovery, innovation, and impact. Dr. Barnett Rosenberg’s groundbreaking work changed the lives of millions of people around the world. By naming this center in his honor, we are connecting one of MSU’s greatest scientific achievements with the innovators, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders who will shape the future.”
David Washburn, CEO of the MSU Research Foundation
“The discovery and commercialization of cisplatin is central to the story of innovation at Michigan State University. The Rosenberg Center will serve as a gateway for future innovators whose ideas have the potential to solve significant challenges and improve lives around the world.”
Jeff Smith, Executive Director of Research Parks at the MSU Research Foundation
Photo credit: Morgan van den Berg
