The U.S. Commerce Department, Economic Development Administration has awarded St. Louis Economic Development Partnership a $500,000 grant to develop a comprehensive master plan for an expanded innovation hub in Creve Coeur that will strengthen opportunities for regional economic growth and globalization in bioscience research and commercialization, support entrepreneurship and collaborative innovation, create high paying jobs, enhance workforce opportunity at a range of levels, increase opportunities for investors in the region, and accelerate product time to market.

The Master Plan will include strategies key to creating a thriving research community integrated into its surroundings, including a design framework; an economic study and strategies; traffic, pedestrian, biking circulation, and parking strategies; and sustainable strategies. Learn more HERE. 

"The entrepreneurial culture of 'I am going to try something new and if I fail that's okay' was incredibly inspiring," said Sam Fiorello, president of Bio Research & Development Growth (BRDG) Park, reflecting on his recent trip to Israel. "It's amazing that a country of eight million people has such a high number of top quality startups in the agtech space."

Sam served as a presenter at the 2015 AgriVest Conference, a highly respected event centered on challenges and prospective solutions facing the agtech sector. Sam's message was simple - the opportunities are here - from discovery to market. "The inventors, funding, infrastructure, skilled workforce and demand is all here," Sam said with confidence. "We have a strong value proposition and unique strengths at BRDG Park that allow us to meet the needs of startups all in an unmatched culture of collaboration. We don't want to move people out of Israel by any means, but we do want to be able to help them establish a U.S. presence in the best environment available." See more HERE.