Kansas State University to Build Bulk Solids Innovation Center

Kansas State University plans to build the Kansas State University Bulk Solids Innovation Center in Salina, Kansas, for companies that design and use systems for bulk solids. The center will be used to study and increase the understanding of bulk solids materials handling.

Primary partners in the projected $3.5-million, 13,000 ft^{2 facility are Kansas State University, the Salina Chamber of Commerce, the Salina Economic Development Corporation, and several private companies. The university will be the key tenant in the center with various offices and research suites for permanent and visiting researchers, companies, and other users. Two local companies, K-Tron and Vortex Valves, will be initial anchor tenants and will conduct both their own research as well as collaborative research with the university.}

The building will include open and enclosed laboratory areas to allow for collaborative and proprietary research projects. The open area will also allow for the more exploratory/open-access research conducted by university investigators and students. The center will incorporate Kansas State faculty from the technology, engineering, and agriculture programs. It will focus on the process industries of plastics, foods and chemicals and will complement the College of Agriculture's Bulk Solids and Particle Technology Lab and program housed on the university's Manhattan, Kansas campus. The project will use public and private sector resources, including a $1-million-plus grant through the Economic Development Assistance Programs of the US Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration.