Mung Chiang, President of Purdue University, and Jeff Simmons, CEO of Elanco Animal Health, have announced plans for the establishment of the One Health Innovation District in Indianapolis. The new facility will be located adjacent to Elanco’s headquarters at the former GM Stamping Plant. This district will feature office space, wet labs, and incubator spaces where Purdue researchers and entrepreneurs can collaborate on innovative projects.
The partnership between a global health company, a university, and the government is a rare and noteworthy move. According to Governor Eric Holcomb, this district will create an ecosystem focused on talent, applied research, and innovation that can be sustained for generations to come. In addition to funding opportunities and lab space, Elanco will also provide up to $2 million in initial funding to kickstart a new Animal Health Venture Fund.
Elanco President Jeff Simmons emphasized the importance of creating the right environment for life-changing innovations to grow from ideas to reality. He believes that the many partners involved in the Indianapolis One Health Innovation District will make it stand out as a place where innovators can find a vast ecosystem of support. This support includes collaboration with other innovators and companies, access to some of the world’s leading universities, funding opportunities, lab space, and shared technical development and pilot plant facilities for manufacturing and scaling innovations.
