Kannapolis Receives Grant From Biotech Center for Study of Research Campus Impact

North Carolina Biotechnology Center

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The grant will be used to underwrite the costs of a study ("Biotechnology Growth Strategy: N.C. Research Campus, Kannapolis and the Charlotte Region").

The study will focus on the potential economic impact of the Research Campus on Kannapolis, Cabarrus County and the Charlotte region. NorthEast Medical Center is a partner in the study. The Research Campus is the brainchild of billionaire David Murdock.

The first part of the study will analyze the region's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Kannapolis and the Charlotte metro statistical area will be compared to Cary, NC, Rockville MD and Rochester MN, three communities with a high concentration of biotechnology, bio-medical or technology-based influences, the city said in a statement.

The second part will provide an economic impact assessment of the biotech campus.

"The NC Research Campus project is unique," said Maria Rapoza, vice president of science and technology, NC Biotechnology Center. "The City of Kannapolis' project to study the impact of the Campus on the community is both timely and strategic, and we are pleased to be able to fund a portion of the work."

Market Street Services, an Atlanta-based firm, is conducting the study, which is expected to be completed by this fall.

"As the NC Research Campus moves forward, it is critical that we as a city understand what it will mean for our community," said Kannapolis City Manager Mike Legg. "The impact assessment and SWOT analysis will help us plan for the future - from strategies to attract new investment, to improving our highway corridors, to gauging the impact in city services."

The North Carolina Biotechnology Center is based in Research Triangle Park.