Charles R. Goulding and Preeti Sulibhavi examine how SPARC Kips Bay’s transformative project and 3D printing technology are set to revolutionize healthcare education, innovation, and economic growth in New York City.
On February 26th, 2025, I attended a New York City Bio-Sciences event where Andrew Kimball, the head of New York City’s Economic Development organization, spoke during a fireside chat about the City’s multi-faceted life science initiatives.
I have known Andrew for many years, including his previous positions at Industry City and the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
One very large generational project that is commencing is the development of the Science Park and Research Campus (SPARC) Kips Bay integrated MedTech Education project.
It has been long recognized that New York City (NYC) has lagged behind San Francisco and Boston in the life science clusters. New York City is quickly catching up, and the SPARC Kips Bay project is aimed at enabling NYC to leapfrog the competing cities.
SPARC Kips Bay is a transformative initiative set to redefine New York City’s landscape in life sciences, healthcare, and public health. Located in the heart of Manhattan, this ambitious project aims to create a state-of-the-art hub fostering innovation, education, and economic growth.
Background
Announced in October 2022, by Mayor Eric Adams and Governor Kathy Hochul, SPARC Kips Bay represents a historic collaboration between city and state authorities, academic institutions, and private partners. The project involves a substantial investment of US$1.6 billion from city and state funds, with an anticipated US$2 billion in private investments, culminating in a total of US$3.6 billion dedicated to this endeavor.
The development is set to transform the existing Hunter College Brookdale Campus into nearly two million square feet of modern facilities. These will encompass classrooms, laboratories, healthcare centers, and life sciences research spaces. The campus will host:
- Three integrated City University of New York (CUNY) schools: Hunter College School of Nursing, CUNY Graduate School of Public Health & Health Policy, and Borough of Manhattan Community College healthcare programs.
- A health and science-focused high school under the New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) system.
- Outpatient ambulatory care services and a training simulation center for NYC Health + Hospitals (H+H).
- A new forensic pathology center and medical examiner facility for the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME).
- Life sciences research laboratories, designed to accommodate companies of varying sizes.
- Integrated community and retail spaces to engage and serve the local population.
The mission of SPARC Kips Bay is to establish a first-of-its-kind job and education center that seamlessly integrates industry and academia. By doing so, it aims to create a pipeline from New York City’s public education system and the City University of New York (CUNY) directly into careers in the life sciences and public health sectors. This initiative is projected to generate approximately US$42 billion in economic impact over the next 30 years and create 15,000 jobs, including 12,000 construction jobs and 3,100 permanent positions in the life sciences sector.
Catalysts for the Project
Several industry factors have spurred the inception of SPARC Kips Bay:
- Growing Demand for Healthcare Professionals: The healthcare and life sciences industries have been experiencing rapid growth, leading to an increased demand for qualified professionals. However, there has been a notable gap between this demand and the availability of a skilled workforce.
- Aging Infrastructure: The existing facilities at Hunter College’s Brookdale Campus were considered outdated and inadequate to meet the evolving needs of modern education and research in healthcare and life sciences.
- Economic Development: Recognizing the potential of the life sciences sector as a driver of economic growth, city and state officials identified the need for a dedicated hub to attract businesses, foster innovation, and create employment opportunities.
- Educational Integration: There was a pressing need to bridge the gap between academic institutions and industry to ensure that educational programs were aligned with real-world applications, thereby enhancing job readiness among graduates.
A pivotal aspect of SPARC Kips Bay’s mission is to integrate real-world applications into its educational and research endeavors, with a particular emphasis on emerging technologies.
3D printing in the medtech and health tech industry has been making substantial progress in recent years. The educational institutions at Kips Bay will need to access instructors who have current knowledge about these technologies.
The integration of 3D printing is vital across the STEM and life sciences sectors for several reasons. Incorporating 3D printing into curricula allows students to engage in hands-on learning, transforming theoretical knowledge into tangible outcomes. This experiential learning enhances understanding and retention of complex concepts.
Access to 3D printing technologies enables researchers and students to rapidly prototype and test new ideas, accelerating the innovation cycle and fostering a culture of creativity. Last, by utilizing technologies prevalent in the industry, educational institutions can better prepare students for the workforce, ensuring they possess relevant skills upon graduation.
Integration of Real-World Applications and 3D Printing Technologies
Establishing Specialized Laboratories
To fully harness the potential of 3D printing, SPARC Kips Bay could dedicate specialized laboratory spaces equipped with advanced 3D printers and supporting technologies. These labs would serve as collaborative environments where students, researchers, and medical professionals can experiment with bioprinting, prosthetic design, and medical device prototyping. By providing access to high-resolution printers capable of producing biocompatible materials, students could gain firsthand experience in designing and fabricating anatomical models, patient-specific implants, and even tissue scaffolds. These facilities could also be integrated into coursework, offering students practical exposure to the same technologies used in leading hospitals and research institutions.
Integrating Simulation in Medical Training
One of the most transformative applications of 3D printing in healthcare is its ability to create highly realistic anatomical models. SPARC Kips Bay could use 3D printed replicas of organs, bones, and tissues for medical training, enabling students to practice surgical techniques and diagnostic procedures before working with real patients. These models could be customized based on real patient data, allowing for personalized surgical planning and improving the accuracy of complex procedures. This approach would enhance the learning experience for students in medical, nursing, and allied health programs while reducing dependency on cadaver-based training, which can be expensive and logistically challenging.
Collaborating with Industry Partners
A key element of SPARC Kips Bay’s success will be its ability to connect students with real-world applications. By partnering with biotech firms, hospitals, and medical device manufacturers, the campus could serve as a testing ground for innovative 3D printing applications. These partnerships could take the form of sponsored research projects, co-op programs, and internships that allow students to work on cutting-edge developments in prosthetics, organ bioprinting, and pharmaceutical manufacturing. Industry collaboration could also help bridge the gap between research and commercialization, ensuring that new technologies developed within SPARC’s labs make their way into hospitals and clinics to improve patient care.
Supporting Research Initiatives
Siemens Healthineers collaborated with the University of Michigan several years ago to bring relevant STEM education to the region by having industry experts collaborate with educators in learning.
Much like that, SPARC Kips Bay has the potential to become a hub for pioneering research in 3D printing applications for life sciences in New York City. By allocating grants and research funding for faculty and student-led initiatives, the center could explore innovations such as bioprinted tissues for drug testing, custom implants for reconstructive surgery, and even 3D printed microfluidic devices for lab-on-a-chip applications. This kind of support would not only advance medical science but also create an ecosystem where students are actively contributing to groundbreaking discoveries. Furthermore, partnerships with research institutions, industry experts and government agencies could enhance funding opportunities and expand the reach of these projects to global healthcare markets.
These expanded initiatives demonstrate how SPARC Kips Bay can use 3D printing to revolutionize education, research, and workforce development in the life sciences and healthcare industries. By fostering hands-on experience, industry collaboration, and research-driven innovation, the project will help shape the next generation of medical professionals and scientific pioneers.
The Research & Development Tax Credit
The now permanent Research and Development (R&D) Tax Credit is available for companies developing new or improved products, processes and/or software.
3D printing can help boost a company’s R&D Tax Credits. Wages for technical employees creating, testing and revising 3D printed prototypes are typically eligible expenses toward the R&D Tax Credit. Similarly, when used as a method of improving a process, time spent integrating 3D printing hardware and software can also be an eligible R&D expense. Lastly, when used for modeling and preproduction, the costs of filaments consumed during the development process may also be recovered.
Whether it is used for creating and testing prototypes or for final production, 3D printing is a great indicator that R&D Credit-eligible activities are taking place. Companies implementing this technology at any point should consider taking advantage of R&D Tax Credits.
Conclusion
This is the time to seize this generational opportunity. SPARC Kips Bay and 3D printing technology can transform our future. By seizing this opportunity, New York City is investing in innovation, which will allow New York and the Nation to reap its rewards for millennia.
