The Western Kentucky University Innovation Campus will be home to the regional headquarters of a California-based software and tech company. MyXR, a software and augmented reality developer, will launch its first regional operations at the WKU Innovation Campus after a ribbon cutting on Tuesday.
The tech company chose Bowling Green in part due to what it describes as an untapped potential in the region.
MyXR CEO Hans Koch said Bowling Green offered something unique from other cities.
“We decided to come here because of the people, because of the collaboration, the gratitude, the innovation, the spirit of Bowling Green,” Koch said. “It’s our job to build on that. Build on the talent that’s here, build on the excitement, the work ethic, and the creativity. All of those are so important and find ways to make it bigger.”
The Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce, Bowling Green Mayor Todd Alcott, and Western Kentucky University worked in partnership to secure the headquarters after the tech company visited multiple cities across the U.S.
The organization plans to be operational in September. The new headquarters is expected to create 60 full-time jobs, with the goal of hiring 25 employees before the end of the year.
Kentucky Lieutenant Governor Jacqueline Coleman said the project is an example of education leading to economic growth in the state.
“Projects like this happen because of our school systems,” Coleman said. “You heard the CEO say that he chose Bowling Green because of the school system here not to mention Warren County and Bowling Green schools, but SKYCTC and Western Kentucky University. So it truly is the foundation of economic development.”
WKU’s Innovation Campus began in 2018 and was designed to serve as a pipeline for growing technology, manufacturing, and research opportunities in the region. The 20-acre campus is a hub for new business and collaboration with the addition of a Collaborative SmartSpace that allows 24 hour working space for professional collaboration.
The Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce has announced six new business projects in south central Kentucky since the beginning of the year.
