The University of Nebraska President gave details of the “Innovation Campus” this week at a Rotary Club meeting in Grand Island. NU President James B. Milliken’s main goal with the 250 acre innovation campus is to keep Nebraska students in the state. Milliken said two-thirds of the funding for the research campus will come from private businesses. The rest of funding will come from public dollars. Milliken says the move of the state fair will eventually benefit the entire state’s economy.
“The innovation campus is just one strategy. There’ll be companies that will want to locate to Nebraska because of our research, because of our graduates,” he said. UNL has an outline of what the innovation campus might look like on their website, at www.unl.edu/ucomm/chancllr/nicampus/. The University is still receiving proposals for the campus. The earliest construction would be done is 2011. As for state fair fundraising in Grand Island, Ken Gnadt said they still a need a big donor to step forward. The community has a goal of raising $1.5 million privately, and Gnadt said they’re about 1/3 of the way through. He said the local state fair committee will meet again next Monday.