Construction is underway for a business incubator within Innovation Park that's considered the missing piece to the region's entrepreneurial ecosystem.

A regional first, the $24-million North Florida Innovation Labs is geared toward startups and growing technology companies that need specialized lab facilities to commercialize and grow their innovations.

The 40,000 square-foot facility is slated to be complete by 2024. With 31 labs, the facility will be home to a mix of labs, including biology, chemistry and flexible workspace, and a machine shop to build prototypes.

Kim Moore, vice president for workforce innovation at Tallahassee Community College, said two words come to mind when thinking about the lab's debut: gamechanger and wow.

"This truly highlights our commitment to being the destination for innovation," Moore said.

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Until now, there hasn't been a space under one roof where innovations out of the research realm could go to the next level toward commercialization, said Bill Lickson, the lab's executive director.

"This facility will allow entrepreneurs and technology related fields like biology chemistry, pharmacy, engineering, robotics and others to scale technology companies right here," Lickson said.

This lab, for example, allows companies that are creating robots or submarines a place to build those things.

Startups are often forced to travel long distances, sometimes out of state, to use lab space to advance their products and services. The closest comparable facility to the North Florida Innovation Labs has been the Sid Martin Biotechnology Incubator, two hours away in Gainesville.

The incubator is made possible by several funding sources, including more than $12 million from the U.S. Economic Development Administration, $2.5 million from the Tallahassee-Leon County Office of Economic Vitality and $2.5 million from the Leon County Research and Development Authority, that governs Innovation Park.  Florida State University committed $5.6 million to the project.

Officials say the labs and programs stemming from the facility will produce over 600 full-time jobs in Tallahassee and the region along the I-10 corridor.

That economic impact tends to "attract very large investment from the private sector," Lickson said.

During the groundbreaking ceremony, Florida State University President Richard D. McCullough said the laboratory facility is a "wise investment that will reap dividends for generations to come."

"It’s about more than bricks and mortar," he said. "It’s about creating a space that will allow us to harness the entrepreneurial spirit in this community and combine it with scientific discovery to create new products, bring them to the marketplace and drive the economy."

The groundbreaking was also attended by Tallahassee Mayor John Dailey and Leon County Commissioner Kristin Dozier, who is running against Dailey for the seat.

Contact TaMaryn Waters at tlwaters@tallahassee.com or follow @TaMarynWaters on Twitter. 

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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: North Florida Innovation Labs brings business incubator for startups