The Mid-America Science Park (MASPark) in Scottsburg, Ind., is one of the most comprehensive science parks in the country. The flagship of the facility is the Training & Workforce Development Center which serves hundreds of adults and students each year who are seeking to advance their skills. Additionally, Mid-America Science Park hosts a number of meetings, events and conferences throughout the year, and is home to a variety of organizations, businesses and associations.
MASPark has 112,000 square feet of innovative space with an additional 19 acres reserved for expansion. Additionally, MASPark has 62 acres available for commercial expansion or light industrial development. This shovel-ready site has infrastructure built to the property and is located in Scottsburg’s Certified Technology Park District. The Science Park is located 30 miles north of Louisville, Kentucky, and 80 miles south of Indianapolis.
History
MASPark was created thanks to the constructive collaboration of local leadership, board members and economic development organizations. The vision was for MASPark to be an international resource center that would create, attract and retain well-paying jobs, enhance learning at all educational levels and contribute to the vitality and competitiveness of the region.
In 1997, elected leadership began planning for a dynamic space that would be competitive with other science parks in the U.S. and around the world. Local leaders knew that Scottsburg would be attractive to future clients with advantages such as:
- Open space and reasonable operating costs;
- An established transportation system and infrastructure with regional, national and global links; and
- A long history of strong leadership and successful economic development projects.
In 2009, Scottsburg was in a position to match a $4.3 million federal grant to fund the Mid-America Science Park. Scottsburg received the largest federal grant in the Economic Development Administration region, and one of the largest federal grants in the nation dedicated to increase entrepreneurial and high-tech business development. MASPark opened in the fall of 2011.
