Contact: Carmen Ramos Chandler,
(818) 677-2130
carmen.chandler@csun.edu

MiniMed, CSUN Break Ground on New Biotech Site

"Today we celebrate another huge step toward making Los Angeles the capital of the 21st century," said Riordan during the ceremony.

The complex is the result of a deal between CSUN officials and Mann's company MiniMed, which specializes in insulin pumps for people with diabetes.

The partnership will create internships and high-paying jobs for students, as well as research opportunities for faculty and more than 1,000 jobs in the area. Almost 100 MiniMed employees have already moved into temporary quarters on the North Campus.

The deal has been hailed by city officials as a boon to the San Fernando Valley economy.

"One of the things we always wanted was something that would relate to education and to a great university," said Bernson, whose 12th Council District includes the Northridge campus. "We finally hit on the right one."

Wilson said today's groundbreaking "marks the beginning of a unique and wonderful partnership" between the university and MiniMed.

The agreement could generate on average more than $1 million a year for the university, which, like most public universities, has relied heavily in the past on state funding for its financial support.

It is only the first of what university officials hope will be several such partnerships that will not only generate revenue for the university, but internships, jobs and research opportunities for its students and faculty.

Plans for the new biotech complex include the construction of four office buildings and a conference center that will cover more than 700,000 square feet of floor space on 28 acres on the north end of the campus at a cost of more than $80 million.

University officials will have access to the state-of-the-art conference center and its data/communications centers, which can be utilized for classes and distance learning programs to help off-set the impact of an expected influx of 500,000 more college students in the next decade.

Mann said he hopes to move other companies he owns to the site, and that the various enterprises could employ more than 1,000 people when the biotech park is completed in about five years.

"Today really marks a momentous occasion for MiniMed, Cal State Northridge and the city of Los Angeles," Mann said of the day's events. "We're going to be moving our entire Sylmar operation here over the next several years."