The Cortex Story:
Transforming Vision into Vibrant Reality

Once a forgotten 200-acre relic of a bygone industry, Cortex has transformed the former brownfield land into a successful and dynamic hub of innovation and creativity in St. Louis.

From Humble Beginnings to Global Recognition

Reviving the Heart of St. Louis

At the turn of the millennium, Marcia Melitz, Bill Simon, and Blanche Touhill were instrumental in creating the Center for Emerging Technologies (CET), a physical space that nurtured and fostered creativity, innovation, and the entrepreneurial spirit for which St. Louis was once known.

Parallel to that effort, Dr. William H. Danforth, the former chancellor of Washington University in St. Louis, founded the Coalition for Plant and Life Sciences (now known as BioSTL) with the belief that commercializing world-class research by local institutions could reshape the region’s economy.

After visiting Cambridge, Massachusetts to study the MIT-funded Kendall Square innovation district, Danforth and John Dubinsky, President and CEO of Westmoreland Associates, returned with a vision for replicating the concept in St. Louis.

A Collaborative Foundation

In 2002, with support from the City of St. Louis, leaders from five anchor institutions — Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis University, University of Missouri - St. Louis, BJC HealthCare, and the Missouri Botanical Garden — united to launch Cortex, then referred to as the Center Of Research Technology and Entrepreneurial Exchange, as a 501(c)3 nonprofit and 353 master developer of the project.

The 353 Master Development Plan is a visionary roadmap guiding Cortex’s growth, merging infrastructure expansion with a thriving ecosystem for research and business, ensuring a cohesive, sustainable future.

For this transformative endeavor, Cortex's visionary founders chose the overlooked 200-acre site for its proximity to the founding institutions, as well as the many nearby cultural and historic neighborhoods, including the Central West End, Midtown, Forest Park, the Grove, and the Grand Center Arts District.

Shaping the Future
Cortex Today

Now the Midwest's largest innovation campus, Cortex stands as a beacon of vision, growth, and opportunity, fostering a diversity of businesses and innovators, and driving regional economic prosperity.

Our commitment extends beyond our state-of-the-art facilities by focusing on and supporting the people behind the products and solutions they create. We are a collaborative and diverse ecosystem of change-makers, innovators, and problem-solvers, dedicated to making a sustainable impact on the St. Louis region and beyond.