4 of top 10 Indiana business incubators based in Purdue Research Park network

INDIANAPOLIS, WEST LAFAYETTE, MERRILLVILLE and NEW ALBANY, Ind. – Four of the top 10 largest Indiana business incubators are part of the Purdue Research Park network, according to the November 2010 list compiled by the Indianapolis Business Journal.

In September, Purdue University, Purdue Research Foundation, Dow AgroSciences LLC, and Indiana and West Lafayette officials celebrated the most recent Purdue Research Park expansion. The event featured the dedication of a new 15,000-square-foot area for research and office space and a 10,000-square-foot greenhouse complex in the West Lafayette, Ind., park. From left are: Mitch Roob, Indiana Secretary of Commerce and CEO of the Indiana Economic Development Corp.; France A. Córdova, Purdue University president; Antonio Galindez, Dow AgroSciences president and CEO; Dan Kittle, Dow AgroSciences vice president of research and development; John Dennis, West Lafayette mayor; Joseph B. Hornett, Purdue Research Foundation senior vice president, treasurer and COO; and Jay Akridge, Purdue's Glenn W. Sample Dean of Agriculture. (Purdue University file photo/Andrew Hancock)

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With more than 285,000 square feet of incubation space for startups and expanding companies, the Purdue Research Park of West Lafayette is the largest business incubator in the state. Flagship Enterprise Center in Anderson is second with about 237,000 square feet.

The Purdue Research Park of West Lafayette also is the largest university-affiliated research park in the country. Other Purdue parks ranked in the list are:

"To have just one university-affiliated research park in the top 10 is a high honor, but to have all four of our research parks with that designation is a tribute to all the hard work that's been completed over the past decade," said Joseph B. Hornett, senior vice president, treasurer and COO of the Purdue Research Foundation, which manages the Purdue Research Park. "More importantly, the park network serves as a conduit for economic development, and, through collaborations with the state and private industry, we are creating jobs and improving lives throughout Indiana."

Combined, the four parks serve more than 200 companies where about 4,000 people earn average annual wages of $54,000. Companies in the park are focused in the arenas of life sciences, homeland security, engineering, advanced manufacturing and information technology. About 64 of the companies are directly related to research and discoveries from Purdue University.

The Indianapolis Business Journal compiles the "Largest Indiana Business Incubators" list annually, along with other statewide lists including related to education, health care, real estate, corporate Indiana and others. The complete "Book of Lists" will be published by the journal in December.