The University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) has unveiled its $97 million Catalyst innovation hub in Omaha’s EDGE District, marking a transformative step in bridging academic research with commercial viability. Developed in partnership with GreenSlate Development and Koelbel & Co., this 170,000-square-foot facility repurposes the historic Omaha Steel Works site into a collaborative ecosystem for healthcare startups, researchers, and entrepreneurs.
Key Insights:
1.Strategic University-Developer Collaboration: Catalyst’s structure combines UNMC’s research excellence (e.g., 526 inventions commercialized since 2020) with private-sector agility, offering labs, coworking spaces, and incubator programs. The project is backed by a $30 million city-funded parking garage and targets 40+ tenants, including health-tech startups like VisionSync.
2.Retaining Local Innovation: Historically, 60% of UNMC’s licensed technologies left Nebraska. Catalyst aims to reverse this trend by housing UNeMed and UNeTech, which facilitate IP commercialization and startup growth. The adjacent EDGE District’s 30-acre mixed-use plan further supports economic retention.
