The University of Vermont (UVM), which is Vermont’s flagship land-grant university, announced a partnership with Cambridge, Massachusetts–based BioInnovation Labs (BioLabs), an internationally known innovation lab platform with a network of shared lab and office workspaces, to launch a dedicated incubator at UVM’s Colchester facility. This announcement coincides with the Dean’s Celebration of Excellence in Research in late September.
The BioLabs Innovation Center at UVM will support entrepreneurs and startup companies specializing in all life sciences research and development areas with fully equipped combination office and lab space to test and scale their research. With this strategic partnership, UVM will oversee the new facility and provide technology, equipment, and direct collaboration with faculty at The Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine at the University of Vermont. The college includes nearly 200 research faculty and more than 700 clinical faculty who practice in the UVM Health Network. BioLabs will support UVM with facility operations, access to industry partners, and networking and programming events.
BioLabs currently partners with an elite group of universities, pharmaceutical companies, and other engaged stakeholders worldwide. And the UVM–BioLabs partnership reinforces the university’s steadfast commitment to research, education, and innovation. Plus, UVM is the first rural university to join the BioLabs ecosystem.
This center will offer select tenants nearly 7,000 sq. ft. of shared wet labs, common areas, and flexible office space, enabling 10–20 early-stage companies to tailor their laboratories according to their needs. The location provides convenient access to UVM and the Robert Larner M.D. College of Medicine’s core facilities, public transit options through Green Mountain Transit, and The Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport, as well as numerous local amenities.
Even though the center is expected to open in early 2025, the BioLabs Innovation Center at UVM will begin accepting applications and hosting tours in the coming months.
The Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine at the University of Vermont will host the Dean’s Celebration of Excellence in Research September 23–27, 2024. And the annual weeklong event series celebrates the exceptional endeavors of junior and senior faculty, postdoctoral trainees, and graduate students and serves as an extraordinary platform for academic discovery and collaboration.
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“Admission to the BioLabs Innovation Center at UVM will be a highly competitive process. And with access to the full research enterprise at UVM, these startups will join the more than 500 companies BioLabs has supported since its launch, ultimately creating jobs and furthering our regional economic development.”
– Kirk Dombrowski, Ph.D., vice president for research and economic development at UVM
“I am excited for the University of Vermont and the Larner College of Medicine to work with Vice President Dombrowski in this important partnership, which will provide critical incubator space for scientists both at UVM and in our community. This will provide a kick start to advancing local scientific discovery to clinical investigation and supporting patient care.”
– Richard L. Page, M.D., dean of the Larner College of Medicine
“Working with the team at UVM is an extraordinary opportunity, and we are proud to be part of expanding access to state-of-the-art facilities for the scientists and entrepreneurs in Vermont and in the UVM ecosystem. Like all our facilities, this site is designed to stimulate creative interaction and collaboration with a bonus of offering access to the wide resources of UVM’s world-class facilities and teams.”
– BioLabs founder and CEO Johannes Fruehauf, M.D., Ph.D.
