The University of Vermont and Cambridge, MA-based BioInnovation Labs (BioLabs), an innovation laboratory platform with a network of shared lab and office workspaces, will launch a dedicated incubator at UVM’s Colchester facility, UVM announced yesterday.
The BioLabs Innovation Center at UVM will support entrepreneurs and start-up companies specializing in all areas of life sciences research and development with fully equipped combination office and laboratory space to test and scale their research. UVM will oversee the new facility and provide technology, equipment, and direct collaboration with the Larner College of Medicine, which includes nearly 200 research faculty and over 700 clinical faculty who practice in the UVM Health Network. BioLabs will support UVM with facility operations, access to industry partners, and networking and programming events.
Currently, BioLabs partners with universities, pharma companies, and other stakeholders worldwide. UVM is the first rural university to join the BioLabs ecosystem.
The Center will offer select tenants nearly 7,000 sq. ft. of shared wet labs, common areas, and flexible office space, which will allow approximately 20 early-stage companies to tailor their laboratories according to their needs. The location, located a short drive from UVM’s main campus in Burlington, provides convenient access to UVM and the Robert Larner M.D. College of Medicine’s core facilities, public transit options through Green Mountain Transit and The Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport, as well as numerous local amenities.
“Admission to the BioLabs Innovation Center at UVM will be a highly competitive process,” Kirk Dombrowski, Vice President for Research and Economic Development at UVM, said. “And with access to the full research enterprise at UVM, these startups will join the more than 500 companies BioLabs has supported since its launch, ultimately creating jobs and furthering our regional economic development.”
Although the Center is expected to open in late 2025, the BioLabs Innovation Center at UVM will begin accepting applications and hosting tours in the coming months.