Invenra lab
For more than 40 years, scientific breakthroughs at University Research Park have transformed medicine and industry. Now the park itself is undergoing an exciting transformation — a place not only to work, but to live and play.
“The goal is to turn a classic suburban office park into a more dynamic urban environment,” said managing director Aaron Olver. “And we want to open it up to the community, not just people who work in the park.”
Over time, the 250-acre campus on Madison’s Near West Side will become a mixed-use innovation district — one with tree-lined streets; stores, restaurants and cafes; bike paths and recreational areas; and workforce housing developed specifically for middle-income earners.
Construction has already begun on the first apartment building, which will have 197 units and retail shops on the street level. A nearby space is ready for the park’s first restaurant. Three new walkable streets have been constructed within the park. And the new route of the Bus Rapid Transit Line already has two stops in the park, with more to come.
Element Labs building
Design by Perkins&Will
Long-term plans include an adjacent 200 acres that will be similarly developed, and all of this will contribute greatly to the economy of Madison and beyond.
“It’s the embodiment of the Wisconsin Idea that the university shouldn’t just be a cloistered ivory tower, but should have an impact on the world around it,” said Olver.
In fact, as a nonprofit affiliate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Research Park has always been guided by the idea that its mission doesn’t stop at the edge of the campus, but should spread outward into the state and beyond.
Research that betters our world
The work produced by companies at Research Park has always been aligned with the university’s mission.
Currently there are 125 companies, with roughly 4,000 employees, researching some of our most challenging problems. Here are just a few of their accomplishments and current research.
A noninvasive colon cancer screening test was nurtured in the park’s incubator by Exact Sciences — a test now known everywhere as Cologuard. The company, recently acquired by Abbott, is the park’s largest tenant.
Pyran, a startup that originated at UW’s engineering college, has developed an eco-friendly, plant-derived, domestically produced replacement for petrochemicals now used in paints and adhesives. Invenra, which specializes in cancer immunotherapy, researches proteins that can target and kill cancer cells. Nimble Therapeutics, recently acquired by AbbVie, produces peptides for medical use. BrainXell, a leader in stem-cell production and innovation, is developing a treatment for Parkinson’s and other neurological diseases.
How an innovation district drives creativity
One of the most exciting aspects of creating a live, work and play environment is that something magical happens when people not only have planned interactions but serendipitous ones.
“You go to the coffee shop to work and you overhear a conversation. The next thing you know, you’ve found your latest investor,” said Olver. “Or you hear an interesting idea that sparks a new thought, you scurry back to your lab, and eureka!”
A new building, Element Labs, which houses Invenra and UW-Madison researchers, also includes Element Hall, a “living room” for meetings as well as purely social events. One example, the recent Biotech Happy Hour, brought Madison’s life science community together to socialize and network.
This new vision for University Research Park reflects its long-standing ethos. “We operate with the discipline of a business and the soul of a nonprofit,” Olver said.
For more information visit universityresearchpark.org.
