UC Davis Chancellor Gary S. May and Aggie Square Planning Director Robert Segar presented a concept for the first phase of Aggie Square to the UC Board of Regents’ Finance and Capital Strategies Committee today (May 15). 

Aggie Square is an innovation hub to be built on the university’s Sacramento campus. The first phase is envisioned to include new facilities for research in life sciences, technology and engineering. It also adds classroom and office space, an outdoor marketplace, university housing, retail, a mobility hub and a public square. Aggie Square’s model co-locates university programs with private industry and community initiatives. Chancellor May unveiled the design on April 23 along with Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg.

“UC Davis plays a powerful role in the Sacramento economy,” May said. “But it’s clear that we can do much more by working in partnership with the city of Sacramento, elected officials, business and neighborhood leaders and the broader community.”

Aggie Square will harness UC Davis’ research prowess and entrepreneurial culture to generate economic growth in the area. UC Davis received more than $846 million in external research funding last year, including $300 million for the medical center in Sacramento. More than $175 million of that funding came from the National Institutes of Health. Nearly 1,000 research studies are underway in basic science, translational, and clinical research areas. 

UC Davis’ entrepreneurial track record includes more than 900 active patents. Last year alone, UC Davis helped launch 16 startups, made 107 invention disclosures and completed 85 licensing agreements. More than 75 percent of UC startups launched in the last five years are still active.

The presentation to the regents’ committee served as a progress update. UC Davis will issue a request for qualifications to development teams in early June.

Follow Dateline UC Davis on Twitter.