Plans for a university research park in Sioux Falls have the go-ahead from the Board of Regents. The panel authorizes the University of South Dakota to plan a facility that houses private and public researchers.
Getting approval for a research park is the beginning of an endeavor that lasts a couple of decades. That’s according to Laura Jenski, who is the vice president of research at USD. She says people can envision several acres of buildings in Sioux Falls where tenants conduct research and develop prototypes in emerging fields.
"The value that the university brings is the faculty, the students, the facilities," Jenski says. "The actual financial commitment will be in the private sector fundraising and in the partnerships between the university, the industries, the city, the state, and so on."
Jenski says she sees university researchers and park tenants collaborating to discover and develop new technologies.