(November 21, 2024) MUSC celebrates Blue Sky Innovation Center grand opening

Fuels the start of Charleston's transformation into a vibrant ecosystem of life sciences innovation

CHARLESTON, S.C. (Nov. 21, 2024)- The Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) celebrated the grand opening of the Blue Sky Innovation Center. Embodying MUSC's entrepreneurial spirit, this repurposed 10,000-square-foot space will serve as a hub for groundbreaking research and collaboration where scientists and other experts can explore novel concepts and grow their ideas to fuel health care innovation.

Located at 280 Calhoun St. in Charleston, Blue Sky is the first building block of an innovation district in Charleston, a transformative initiative aimed at creating a vibrant ecosystem to support medical research, educational advancements, entrepreneurial activities and advanced health care services in our region.

Blue Sky will enable life-changing ideas to become reality by providing much needed incubation space for early-stage startup companies," said David J. Cole, M.D., FACS, president of MUSC. "For the scientists, visionaries, and entrepreneurs among us, this is a place to turn concepts into creations, partner thought leaders with fellow innovators and usher in the next stage of health care transformation."

To help accelerate innovation, the center houses more than 20 leasable wet lab spaces in addition to offices that are available to both early-stage and mature companies. Blue Sky will also foster a truly collaborative culture by hosting innovation, education and community-focused events, where pioneering advancements in health care can flourish. Blue Sky has welcomed SCbio's accelerator program, SCbio Drive, and Bruker Corporation, a leading manufacturer of scientific instruments in the U.S. In addition, the space is already home to MUSC's Office of Innovation and Zucker Institute for Innovation Commercialization.

Through partnerships with South Carolina Department of Commerce, SCbio, Charleston Regional Development Alliance, Charleston County Economic Development and the Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Council of Governments, Blue Sky represents a commitment to enhancing South Carolina's knowledge economy and the rapidly growing life sciences region in the state.

"Blue Sky is a physical demonstration of MUSC's commitment to fostering a culture of discovery and innovation," said Jesse Goodwin, Ph.D., chief innovation officer. "I am excited for the potential of the companies and partners housed here, and to grow the programming opportunities. We are creating a launchpad for health care solutions that will define the future."

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About MUSC

Founded in 1824 in Charleston, MUSC is the state's only comprehensive academic health system, with a mission to preserve and optimize human life in South Carolina through education, research and patient care. Each year, MUSC educates over 3,100 students in six colleges and trains 950+ residents and fellows across its health system. MUSC leads the state in federal and National Institutes of Health and research funding. For information on our academic programs, visit musc.edu.

As the health care system of the Medical University of South Carolina, MUSC Health is dedicated to delivering the highest-quality and safest patient care while educating and training generations of outstanding health care providers and leaders to serve the people of South Carolina and beyond. In 2024, for the 10th consecutive year, U.S. News & World Report named MUSC Health University Medical Center in Charleston the No. 1 hospital in South Carolina. To learn more about clinical patient services, visit muschealth.org.

MUSC has a total enterprise annual operating budget of $7.1 billion. The 31,000 MUSC members include world-class faculty, physicians, specialty providers, scientists, contract employees, affiliates and care team members who deliver groundbreaking education, research, and patient care.

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