As a lifelong Kansan, I am continually inspired by the entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to innovation in the great state of Kansas. In 1986, the state leaders that founded KTEC demonstrated this innovative spirit when they created this unique private sector style organization. Since that time, Kansas has called on KTEC to play the leading role in stimulating technology based economic development – keeping Kansas on the “cutting edge” of an increasingly competitive global economy. It is challenging and inspiring work. I have been humbled and motivated by my role in this important organization.
 
KTEC’s 20th anniversary year presents a tremendous opportunity to celebrate the entire KTEC Network and its work to meet, and even exceed in meeting, the goals of our founders. As part of this celebratory year, I would like to share this special edition of the KTEC NewsByte to showcase 20 years of hard work, our important statewide partners in the KTEC Network, our ever-increasingly talented pool of professionals, our cutting-edge initiatives and KTEC’s history of success in positively impacting the Kansas economy and innovation environment.

It’s terrific to have moments like the 20th anniversary to give us time to reflect. As we are dedicated to paving the way for the future, it is sometimes difficult to take the time to reflect on what we have already accomplished. However, it is important to honor all who have worked at KTEC to make it the great organization it is today. I hope you share my immense pride in KTEC, our board, our wonderful employees, our Centers of Excellence, Business Assistance Incubators, MAMTC and our dedicated Entrepreneurs in Residence.  It’s an environment of dedication and innovation that Kansas can claim for the next 20 years.

The future truly is “As Big as you Think” in Kansas.  KTEC will remain vigilant in ensuring that innovation remains a central focus of our prosperous future for the next 20 years.

Best regards,

KTEC Network - It's Bigger Than You Think!

KTEC’s mission is to promote innovation in Kansas, in addition to creating jobs and enhancing and preserving our economic base. KTEC is committed to supporting the KTEC network, which gives Kansas companies access to some of the most knowledgeable and influential scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs in Kansas.

KTEC Centers of Excellence are university-based research centers, each with its own technology specialization. The Centers conduct innovative research and provide technical assistance with the overlapping aims of creating new companies, strengthening existing companies and serving as expert resources to other KTEC programs.

• Advanced Manufacturing Institute, Kansas State University
• Higuchi Biosciences Center, University of Kansas
• Information & Telecommunication Technology Center, University of Kansas
• Kansas Polymer Research Center, Pittsburg State University
• National Institute for Aviation Research, Wichita State University
  
  

CLICK to learn more about the KTEC Centers of Excellence.

KTEC Business Assistance Incubators provide business incubation and support to high-potential businesses. They have formed strategic partnerships with their respective communities and/or area universities to assist in the successful development of promising young technology companies into thriving mature businesses.

• Alliance for Technology Commercialization, Pittsburg
• Enterprise Center of Johnson County, Lenexa
• Lawrence Regional Technology Center, Lawrence
• National Institute for Strategic Technology Acquisition & Commercialization, Manhattan
• Quest Business Center for Entrepreneurs, Hutchinson
• University of Kansas Medical Center Research Institute, Kansas City
• Western Kansas Technology Corporation, Great Bend
• Wichita Technology Corporation, Wichita

CLICK to learn more about the KTEC Business Assistance Incubators.

Mid-America Manufacturing Technology Center (MAMTC) helps small and medium-sized manufacturers improve their competitiveness by assisting them in modernizing their operations and adopting appropriate technologies, as well as management, marketing and business practices. MAMTC, which is funded by KTEC, works in locations across the entire state of Kansas.

CLICK to learn more about MAMTC.
CLICK for more information about Technology and Manufacturing.

Whether it’s providing matching funds for a university researcher’s NIH grant, assisting an inventor with an SBIR grant application, introducing early stage companies to angel investors and venture capitalists, or working with senior leadership of research institutions to identify and plan for “the next big idea” in technology-based economic development, KTEC is the state of Kansas’ voice and resource for technology commercialization.

KTEC Commercialization Value Chain

CLICK TO ENLARGE the
KTEC Value Chain

Nearly 20 years ago, the state of Kansas created Kansas Technology Enterprise Corporation (KTEC) to promote the development of high technology industries in Kansas. Since then, KTEC’s private sector leadership has continuously adapted its programs to the ever-changing needs of high-growth technology companies and the entrepreneurs leading them. 

Simply put, technology commercialization is the process of transforming scientific discoveries first into intellectual property, then into market-driven products or services and ultimately into stakeholder value.

KTEC’s core operations and affiliates contribute to the process by which bioscience researchers, inventors, entrepreneurs, investors and operations' managers in Kansas increase stakeholder value. With KTEC as a state-sponsored partner, technology companies can achieve success in Kansas as readily as anywhere in the world.

CLICK to read more and view the KTEC Value Chain.

Continued Leadership in the Biosciences

Recognizing that 21st Century economic growth would be significantly affected by the biosciences, KTEC created the strategy and drafted the legislation for the Kansas Economic Growth Act (KEGA), the 2004 legislation that empowered the Kansas Bioscience Authority to invest an estimated $580 million of bioscience-related economic stimulus over fifteen years.

Once KEGA was passed and the Bioscience Authority created, KTEC supported this new instrumentality of the state by facilitating a strategic planning process and supporting its early operations.

Today, KTEC is working with leading bioscience entrepreneurs, researchers and corporations to develop compelling investment proposals for consideration by the Bioscience Authority.

KTEC is working with the Bioscience Authority to increase access to capital for early stage bioscience companies. The strategy currently under development involves emulating the success of BioEnterprise, a business formation, recruitment and acceleration initiative designed to grow health care companies and commercialize bioscience technologies in Northeast Ohio.

Working with BioEnterprise, KTEC is also developing a plan for a co-investment fund that would increase the attractiveness of Kansas bioscience companies to venture capital firms outside the region.

KTEC Recruits Industry Leaders, Visionaries

KTEC has strengthened its service to Kansas’s entrepreneurs by adding to its network several highly capable professionals. With new and complex initiatives in place, there is an ever-growing need for high-level talent to provide expertise so that the state may expeditiously move forward and reap economic benefits of these programs. KTEC is dedicated to putting talented people in place to move these complex initiatives forward.