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By Loretta Daniel loretta.daniel@murraystate.edu Murray State University and the Regional Business and Innovation Center launched the West Kentucky AgBioworks Initiative Aug. 5 at the Regional Agri-Energy Field Day. Our goal is to make 17 western Kentucky counties leaders in the bio-economy. The mission: "Create new agricultural opportunities, accelerate business development in sustainable and renewable technologies and resources, create new industrial processing opportunities that assist the growth of biomass production in the western Kentucky economy that will create new jobs for our region and enable prosperity for all residents." AgBioworks will execute the results of a 98-county Battelle Technology Practice study that Memphis Bioworks Foundation led. Results showed a need to develop biomass businesses, as well as to reveal profitable opportunities for farmers and foresters. The Business & Innovation Center coordinates and houses AgBioworks. It collaborated with MSU’s West Kentucky Center for Emerging Technology, College of Science Engineering and Technology, School of Agriculture, Regional Stewardship and Outreach Office and College of Business, and with Memphis Bioworks Foundation and BioDimensions Incorporated to create and launch this program. Partnering Murray State’s partnership is uniquely aligned to provide resources needed to develop this new bio-economy in our region: • School of Agriculture leaders will work with the introduction of alternative crops, with existing agri-energy partners, new processing opportunities, farmer networks and expanded markets. • The College of Science, Engineering and Technology will research crops and pilot projects, as well as provide basic science and engineering support for chemical analyses, power generation, energy production, and development of processes and materials. • College of Business officials will support commercial opportunities, curriculum development and economic research. • The Regional Business and Innovation Center will provide entrepreneurial and business development, commercialization of technology and research, and coordination of initiative. Our purpose is to build infrastructure to advance high-growth sectors, as well as to capitalize and build telecommunications, bio-agriculture and energy and environmental sciences strengths in western Kentucky. Green economy A bio-economy substitutes renewable materials for petroleum in developing bio-based products and creating healthier, locally grown foods. The region has abundant farmland that will help technologies convert plants into bio-based products. The effort will mean more opportunities for farmers, create more jobs, increase biodiversity, decrease pollution, and relieve the impact on global warming. Farmers will gain by expanding the most valuable bio-energy crops. West Kentucky AgBioworks will organize business relationships with bio-energy companies and help start biomass businesses. This industry is projected to grow into a $125 billion global market in the next several years.

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