The mission of the Biotechnology Innovation and Optimization Center (BIO Center) is to develop life enhancing pharmaceutical and biomedical technologies through applied physical- and chemical-based research and to successfully manage the commercialization of these technologies to become a regional economic development engine. The BIO Center is a Kansas Technology Enterprise Corporation (KTEC) Center of Excellence.

The BIO Center allows the University of Kansas to centralize technology development efforts on the Lawrence and medical center campuses. The centralization efforts include the Office of Therapeutics, Discovery and Development; the Office of Technology Transfer and Intellectual Property; and the Office of Business Relations and Development.

This centralization provides a focused approach for moving university technologies into the private sector and draws from pharmaceutical and biomedical research on both campuses.