By Brenna Keller
NKyTribune associate editor
Covington-based nonprofit lab incubator LifeSciKY has welcomed its first international lab resident.
LifeSciKY hosted a ribbon-cutting to welcome Mitsui Chemicals and its brand InnoCell on Tuesday. Local and state officials attending the event included Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, Covington Mayor Ron Washington, and Kenton County Commissioner Beth Sewell.
LifeSciKY is a lab incubator dedicated to accelerating science, entrepreneurship, education, and economic development in Kentucky. It provides affordable lab space, state-of-the-art equipment, and essential resources to empower innovators and advance groundbreaking work.
Mitsui Chemicals America, Inc. is an arm of Japan-based Mitsui Chemicals, Inc., which produces and supplies specialty chemicals and high‑performance polymers used in applications across life and health, mobility, packaging, electronics, and industrial markets.
InnoCell is the brand name for Mitsui Chemicals’ cell culture products, services, and research surrounding solutions for drug discovery.
Mitsui Chemicals officials were drawn to LifeSciKY for its access to talent, academic and industry collaboration opportunities, and Kentucky’s supportive environment for innovation and growth.
“This milestone marks an important step for Mitsui Chemicals as we further integrate into the global life science innovation ecosystem through our InnoCell technologies. We are honored to collaborate closely with LifeSciKY in Kentucky and look forward to driving meaningful innovation together,” said Osamu Hashimoto, President and CEO, Mitsui Chemicals, Inc.
The combined Covington operation will focus on research and development in life sciences innovation and advanced biomedical research. These areas closely align with Mitsui Chemicals’ focus on next‑generation materials and cell culture technologies, including the InnoCell platform.
The partnership will allow Mitsui’s new InnoCell platform to leverage the power of its proprietary chemicals with LifeSciKY’s labs to develop a new plastic product for cell culture.
“LifeSciKY’s lab facilities provide day-one operational ability for innovators like the R&D team from Mitsui Chemicals. Access to a fully equipped lab – without the time and expense of building one – means experiments start faster, data comes sooner, and capital lasts longer,” said Dr. Christin Godale, Executive Director, LifeSciKY. “We’re proud to welcome Mitsui Chemicals and its brand InnoCell to the Commonwealth and to support their next phase of discovery. Their decision to locate here is a testament to Kentucky’s growing momentum in the life sciences sector. Every company that chooses LifeSciKY strengthens our innovation ecosystem, creates high-quality jobs, and helps position Kentucky as a competitive, global hub for life sciences.”
“The power of collaboration is what fuels innovation and helps create a better future for Kentucky,” said Gov. Andy Beshear. “This partnership between LifeSciKY and Mitsui Chemicals highlights the good that comes from working together. Not only do we welcome another quality Japan-based company to their New Kentucky Home, but we’re also using our resources with LifeSciKY and the OneNKY Center to further strengthen Kentucky’s position as a leader in life sciences and business development.”
Mitsui Chemicals will be collaborating with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital’s Center for Stem Cell and Organoid Medicine (CuSTOM). CuSTOM researchers create miniature organs, called organoids, from patient stem cells. The organoids are used to study disease processes and develop personalized treatments. CuSTOM Director of Research and Development Magdalena Kasendra, Ph.D. highlighted the “very natural collaboration” with Mitsui Chemicals.
Mitsui has the material science capabilities to develop materials that enhance CuSTOM’s research.
The lab will initially be staffed with current employees brought over from Japan. However, Antonios Grigoriou, President of Mitsui Chemicals America, Inc., emphasized the importance of hiring locally for continuity of operations. The Japanese workers will be in Northern Kentucky to get operations up and running, but according the Grigoriou, “local employers will be the key moving forward.”