Through an expanded partnership with Cortex and sponsorship agreement with Thermo Fisher Scientific, CIC is building on its mission to further innovation for the region
CIC St. Louis unveils plans to renovate the Innovation Campus’s laboratories, as the opportunity for life science growth in the region scales. A joint investment with Cortex, CIC’s long term partner in St. Louis, the $2 million renovation will kick-off in February 2024 with a target completion of late Spring 2024.
In conjunction with the building and facilities upgrades, CIC has also expanded its sponsorship agreement with Thermo Fisher Scientific to bring state-of-the-art equipment, training and services to its St. Louis Innovation Campus. CIC began its work with Thermo Fisher as the Founding Sponsor at CIC Philadelphia in 2022, offering instruments, equipment, technology, and software across 450 benches on four floors of lab space. As in Philadelphia, this sponsorship will give CIC access to Thermo Fisher’s Life Sciences portfolio, as well as application support training.
The renovated labs in St. Louis will be purpose-built to support scientists developing solutions to some of the greatest challenges in the health and life sciences fields. The labs are located in CIC’s space at S. Sarah Street, and the remodel will feature six private labs that can accommodate teams from one to 44, and shared lab space with six benches for individuals and small teams. The move-in ready lab spaces include access to lab equipment and tech, eyewash stations, emergency showers, and chemical fume hoods.
“This renovation to reinvigorate our state-of-the-art shared and private labs space, with the support of Cortex and Thermo Fisher, will position CIC Labs as a best-in-class solution for young life science companies planning to scale in St. Louis,” said John Land, CIC St. Louis General Manager. “St. Louis is proving itself as a leader in the bioscience field and we are proud to support the community of entrepreneurs and startups working at this pace.”
As part of CIC’s St. Louis Innovation Campus, the renovated labs will strengthen the vibrant CIC community, which is home to more than 200 clients and features 160,000 square feet of workspace, labs, and event space, as well as dynamic programming.
“Cortex is proud to partner with CIC to enable these important lab renovations to facilitate high-level research among the continuum of discovery to commercialization,” said Sam Fiorello, Cortex President & CEO. “We are delighted by Thermo Fisher’s commitment to invest to provide Cortex and CIC members more complex research tools along with a new level of expertise to advance critical research.”
“Organizations like CIC play an integral role in empowering researchers to drive innovation and accelerate science,” said Kim Baltier, vice president of global commercial operations, biosciences at Thermo Fisher. “Thermo Fisher’s agreement with CIC in St. Louis reflects our commitment to equip scientists across the globe with the tools they require to advance life sciences research.”
This strategic investment is another example of CIC’s commitment to provide startups, scale-ups, corporations and public entities the best possible environment and programming to tackle society’s biggest local and global challenges. As a champion for life science companies since it was founded in 1999, CIC views the expansion of its Labs footprint as an important part of its growth strategy. These renovations are driven by the success of CIC Labs in Philadelphia, which has supported nearly 400 clients who have raised more than $1.66 billion in venture capital.
About CIC
CIC builds and operates a global network of innovation campuses where startups, scale-ups, corporations and public entities connect, work, and grow. Founded in 1999, CIC manages more than 1.2 million square feet of innovation-focused workspace, laboratories, and event space across North America, Europe and Asia. Additionally, CIC develops bespoke programming, builds and enables industry clusters, and provides world-class district consulting—all focused on advancing innovation.
Learn more about CIC’s innovation campuses featuring workspace & labs, programming, and events at CIC.com. Follow along on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook.
About Cortex
Cortex creates space for innovators from a diversity of backgrounds to transform ideas into solutions. Weaving together people, places, and organizations, Cortex accelerates inclusive economic growth in the St. Louis region. Cortex creates equitable economic impacts by leveraging high-quality facilities, developing programs that build knowledge and networks, and convening strategic partnerships that attract and support emerging and established companies. Founded in 2002 through a collaboration of Washington University in St. Louis, BJC HealthCare, the University of Missouri – St. Louis, Saint Louis University, and the Missouri Botanical Garden, Cortex (CortexSTL.org) is a 200-acre, internationally recognized hub of innovation and entrepreneurship.
