Standing in the newly finished Catalyst building, ready to cut the ribbon on its opening, UNMC Interim Chancellor H. Dele Davies, MD, described the renaissance he sees underway.
Like the Renaissance that ushered Europe into the modern age, Dr. Davies said, he sees a vision of creativity and transformation unfolding at the Catalyst and the EDGE District.
Powered by UNMC researchers, scientists and health care professionals, Catalyst is positioned to intermingle those innovators with local entrepreneurs and Omaha’s startup ecosystem.
Already known for extraordinary education, research and care, UNMC also is going to be recognized for extraordinary discovery as its research and innovations become real-world solutions, Dr. Davies said.
The transformation starting west of UNMC’s main campus, he said, will benefit all of Omaha, as well as the state.
“All the ingredients are there for this to be a great, great ecosystem,” Dr. Davies said, “that will allow all these products, many of which now get licensed outside the state of Nebraska, to actually stay here and transform the economy, not just of Omaha, but of the great state of Nebraska.”
Leaders and partners in the development of the Catalyst building came together Wednesday, May 28, to celebrate the opening of the 170,000-square-foot office, meeting and community space in the renovated Omaha Steel Castings plant.
Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen, University of Nebraska System President Jeffrey P. Gold, MD, Dr. Davies and Dean Koelbel, vice president of commercial real estate partner Koelbel and Co., hailed the project and helped cut the ceremonial ribbon, along with Jay Lund and Clay Vanderheiden, principals at project partner GreenSlate Development.
Gov. Pillen praised Catalyst’s place in the billions of dollars in investments happening across Omaha and Nebraska. He said he’s grateful for all the people making the project happen, saying the innovation, technology and breakthroughs that will take place are exciting.
“What the Catalyst unlocks is another space for people to innovate and create and be leaders in the world,” Gov. Pillen said.
NU President Gold praised research science and education as the magic formula of great university medical centers. He said it’s critical that research discoveries get commercialized and transferred to industries.
“At the end of the day, until that research improves a human life, it is really just an exercise,” he said.
Koelbel said Catalyst will be the beacon of health care innovation for the entire region.
The building, he said, is designed to create “serendipitous collisions” to help drive the innovation coming off the UNMC campus.
“This building is unlike any other building in the marketplace,” Koelbel said, “and we’re pretty excited to see what the future holds for it.”
For more information on Catalyst and the EDGE District, visit the Catalyst website and the district’s official website.