Purdue and Elanco to create 3-acre research facility near former GM stamping plant site

Elanco Animal Health and Purdue University are partnering to create a three-acre research facility near the former site of the GM stamping plant in Indianapolis.

The facility will be part of a new OneHealth Innovation District surrounding the future Elanco Global Headquarters, located along the White River between Washington Street and Oliver Avenue.

Purdue University President Mung Chiang compared the district to West Lafayette’s Discovery Park District, clarifying that while that district focuses on aerospace, transportation and semiconductors, the OneHealth district will focus on plant, animal and human health.

This research facility itself will contain office space, labs, classrooms and an incubator space.

The district’s borders aren’t yet set, but Chiang said the district would grow with Elanco acreage purchases, alluding to potential future inclusion of Eli Lilly facilities.

Elanco CEO Jeff Simmons also announced the company, which focuses on preventing and treating diseases in farm animals and pets, will contribute $2 million to create a new venture fund that will support animal health start-ups in the district.

Elanco plans to open its new corporate headquarters, located on 220,000 square feet of a former GM stamping plant, in spring of 2025. Elanco also committed to purchasing 12 more acres to the north of its headquarters for future expansion.

More: Former GM stamping plant will be home to Elanco Animal Health headquarters

Indiana won the company's investment in 2020, offering a massive incentive package of $106 million. Indianapolis also contributed $64 million in incentives, bringing the total to $170 million. When the headquarters were announced, some residents raised concerns about gentrification in the district.

Gov. Eric Holcomb, Chiang and Elanco CEO Jeff Simmons made the announcement about the new research facility on Thursday at the Indiana Convention Center as part of the Indiana 2024 Global Economic Summit.

“These three entities have stepped up and answered the call, and here we find ourselves in a different place, a better place with the highest talent available in the world, that I think will become a magnet,” Holcomb said.

This announcement also represents a significant step for Purdue. Chiang emphasized the school’s commitment to Indianapolis, calling its current presence the “southern part of an integrated one Purdue campus.”

"Totality of Purdue to the totality of Indianapolis - that’s our pledge as the Indianapolis part of Purdue's main campus officially launches on July 1," Chiang said. "In the coming years, all programs at Purdue will find homes throughout our state’s capital city.”

Purdue research interests will focus on the microbiome and antimicrobial resistance, computational biology, comparative genomics and livestock sustainability. The press release mentions Indianapolis’s strength in major biotech companies, including Eli Lilly and Corteva alongside Elanco, but did not mention if these other companies planned to participate in research efforts. Representatives did not respond to requests for comment.

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Elanco and Purdue have been partnering since 2020 on a four-year research collaboration in which Elanco works alongside Purdue life science researchers specializing in structural biology, protein engineering, microbiome discovery and clinical research. For Elanco, the collaboration has meant it’s easier to turn ideas into products. On the Purdue side, the partnership has supported a visiting scholar program and helps train future researchers.

The announcement is another step towards Holcomb's goal of developing Indiana as a technology hub. In September 2023, Indiana received funding to host regional semiconductor-production hubs, thanks to U.S. Sen. Todd Young's CHIPS and Science Act, and in October 2023, Indiana stakeholder group Heartland BioWorks was designated a Regional Technology and Innovation Hub.

Contact IndyStar politics Pulliam fellow Nadia Scharf at nscharf@indystar.com or follow her on Twitter @nadiaascharf.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Purdue and Elanco to create research facility in Indianapolis