The Cabinet's Department of Commercialization and Innovation, after consulting with scholars and scientific experts across the Commonwealth, identified five research priority focus areas for Kentucky. These are the research areas that will afford Kentucky the best opportunity to build centers of research excellence around which competitive technology-based clusters can grow and thrive. These centers and associated business clusters will have the greatest influence on the creation of the New Economy in Kentucky.

Human Health and Development

Kentucky researchers are making significant contributions in basic translational and clinical research in human health and disease. The Cabinet is committing funds to this area to improve the health of Kentuckians while growing Kentucky's economy through the development of new drugs, therapies, and medical devices.

Biosciences

The biosciences integrate the basic principles of biology and biochemistry with other disciplines such as engineering, information technology and mathematics. The new, emerging fields of biotechnology, bioengineering, bioinformatics, and computational biology represent some of the fastest-growing industries in the world. The economic potential for the Commonwealth in the biosciences is significant, and Kentucky is uniquely positioned to make major scientific advancements in the following bioscience areas:

• Pharmaceutical and medical diagnostics
• Crop enhancement, fertilization, and insect control
• Plant natural product discovery and isolation
• Veterinary diagnostics, animal breeding, and animal feed formulation
• Scientific instrumentation and medical devices
• Alternative fuels
• Biomaterials production, biological industrial catalysts, and environmental bioremediation

Information Technology and Communications

Information technology and communication services have helped transform the U.S. economy. Fueling this change has been the development of new technologies for managing and communicating information and goods. Moreover, since managing information is a fundamental tool in all areas of research, information technology is classified as an essential or enabling technology. Businesses that win in the New Economy are those that are able to innovate, change, communicate, and manage information and goods in real time. Such corporate innovation requires a well-developed research capacity and a well-prepared, highly-skilled workforce. Kentucky's postsecondary education institutions can provide both if information technology and communications research and teaching capacity are properly developed and funded.

Environmental and Energy Technologies

The importance of energy production to Kentucky cannot be overstated. However, energy extraction and production are inextricably linked to the environment. If Kentucky is to continue to benefit from its natural resources, it must develop technologies that will reduce the environmental impact without increasing the cost of energy extraction, production, and usage. The Commonwealth should also develop new industries to take advantage of the potential opportunities associated with uranium conversion.

Materials Science and Advanced Manufacturing

Manufacturing remains an important industry to the state and Kentucky is an international leader in advanced manufacturing practices and processes. Manufacturing in the new economy is characterized by computer visualization, computer-aided design and rapid prototyping, robotics and automation, and lean and "green" manufacturing and processing technologies.

The high-tech economy uses new advanced materials with enhanced properties to make better products and decrease production costs. Newly developed, advanced materials are used in electronic and photonic applications, fuel cell power, synthetic fuels, biomedical devices and diagnostic applications, chemical processing, and as industrial catalysts. In order to maintain manufacturing as a strong segment of Kentucky's economy, it is important to invest in the research and development of materials science and advanced manufacturing technologies. Supporting this research is critical to fostering new economic development within the Commonwealth of Kentucky and is necessary to support the needs of the current manufacturing base.