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Link Innovation Labs targets February ribbon-cutting; Top City FAME and small-business programs advance
Summary
Go Topeka staff updated the JEDO board on Link Innovation Labs’ near-completion and signed tenants; Top City FAME, an employer-driven advanced-manufacturing training program, will launch a cohort in 2026 with a Feb. 3 launch event, and small-business programming expansions were outlined.
Staff told the JEDO board on Dec. 10 that Link Innovation Labs is nearing substantial completion and a ribbon-cutting is targeted for early February 2026. Stephanie Moran, senior vice president of innovation, said crews are completing HVAC, lab casework has arrived, and furniture installation is scheduled for early to mid-January.
Moran announced signed tenants and partnerships for the Link space, including Sparrow Coffee Co. (a second location), Plug and Play as an office tenant, and the Washburn Small Business Development Center. She also noted sponsorships from Kansas State University and KBS Constructors.
Rhiannon (presenter) summarized Q3 growth metrics for Go Topeka: approximately $76 million in capital investment in 2025, 145 new jobs and 496 retained jobs to date, and an emphasis on business retention and aviation-related attraction work. Staff said a compatible-use study for the Topeka Regional Airport is planned, and a Department of Commerce-supported familiarization (FAM) tour is being planned for 2026.
On workforce training, presenters described Top City FAME (Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education), a two-year, employer-led associate-degree program operating with Washburn Tech and multiple sponsoring employers. Staff said the first cohort will be launched in 2026, with a Feb. 3 launch event and an application window closing March 20; the program pairs classroom instruction with paid employer work experience and aims to graduate students debt-free when employer partners contribute tuition support.
Small-business staff also reported Q4 activity: 18 companies were approved for 29 projects in Q4, with about $152,000 in approved funds and an estimated $746,000 in projected private investment tied to those projects. Staff said programming and events will continue out of Link once the facility opens.
