College Announces ‘Win-Win’ Partnership
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowFranklin College has announced a partnership with the city of Franklin and B2S Labs. As part of the deal biotherapeutics company will move to Franklin this spring or summer. Franklin College President Jay Moseley says the partnership involves lectures, internships and research opportunities for students. He says the agreement targets increased student demand in the area.
March 2, 2015
News Release
FRANKLIN, Ind. – A new partnership between Franklin College, the City of Franklin and B2S Labs should prove to be a win-win for everyone involved. When B2S Labs locates later this summer in Franklin, Franklin College students will gain access to additional experiential learning opportunities and mentors in biochemistry; the City of Franklin will broaden its tax base and establish greater business diversification; and B2S Labs will have access to a collaborative local government and student internship programs.
The City of Franklin announced the partnership and the anticipated property purchase B2S Labs will make at 97 E. Monroe St. The Franklin Development Corp. provided initial approval to sell the property at their board meeting on Thursday, Feb. 26. The project is still pending additional approvals from the Redevelopment Commission, Economic Development Commission and City Council.
B2S Labs is a biotechnology accelerator that enables biotherapeutic drug development by creating custom biological reagents. The company tailors pharmaceutical drugs to meet the needs of individual patients or illnesses. They also provide long-term reagent supply and life-cycle management services.
B2S Labs was created last year as a branch of B2S Consulting in Beech Grove, Ind. The company has worked with patients with cancer or diabetes in the past. The company hopes to move its laboratory division to Franklin, making it the first of its kind in Johnson County.
“The establishment of B2S Labs in Franklin provides tremendous opportunities for the college, the city and Johnson County,” said James G. Moseley, Franklin College president. “The college is thrilled to partner with an innovative business within an innovative field. It provides an outstanding opportunity for our students to participate in engaged and experiential learning in the ground-breaking field of applied biotechnology, opening doors to meaningful, significant careers upon graduation.”
Moseley believes the biotechnology accelerator will play a major role in attracting future science programs and professional services to the City of Franklin, and Franklin Mayor Joe McGuinness, a Franklin College alumnus, agrees.
“We are thrilled to welcome B2S Labs into our community,” McGuinness said. “They bring a unique industry to our community that will likely accelerate biotechnology and biotherapy research and development in Franklin and Johnson County. In addition, they have already begun work to lay the foundation for solid partnerships within our community.”
“It's has been a pleasure for Dr. Mordan-McCombs and me to work with the leadership of B2S Labs during the past year to make this partnership a reality,” said Steve Browder, Franklin College Natural Science Division Head. “We are so excited about the opportunity our students will have to work with and learn from world class research scientists.”
B2S founder, Ron Bowsher, chose Franklin for the lab after lecturing on campus and seeing the dedication and passion the students have, according to an article published in the Daily Journal on Friday, Feb. 27.
Founded in 1834, Franklin College is a residential, liberal arts institution with a scenic, wooded campus located 20 minutes south of downtown Indianapolis, spanning 207 acres, including athletic fields and a 31-acre biology woodland. The college prepares students to think independently, to lead responsibly and to serve with integrity in their professions, their communities and the world. The college offers its approximately 1,000 students Bachelor of Arts degrees in 55 majors from 25 academic disciplines, 41 minors, 11 pre-professional programs and four cooperative programs. In 1842, the college began admitting women, becoming the first coeducational institution in Indiana and the seventh in the nation. Franklin College maintains a voluntary association with the American Baptist Churches USA. For more information, visit www.FranklinCollege.edu.
Source: Franklin College