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Shawnee — Even with the tremendous progress of the Animal Health Corridor initiative thus far, one Shawnee firm is taking its integral role in the initiative a step further.

This month, two master's degree students will begin working at Bayer Animal Health in Shawnee as part of a masters program that is the newest element in the Animal Health Corridor initiative. It's Bayer's latest contribution to the movement, which has the goal of bringing even more animal health-related firms to the Kansas City area and solidify its position as the global leader for animal health and nutrition research, innovation and production.

Bayer partnered with Kansas University in the educational initiative to create a master's in business administration program aimed at students with a scientific background and management interest. The Global Science & Management Integration Program was designed by KU, but it will be used to attract talent to Animal Health Corridor.

Participants, who must have a DVM or Ph.D., will rotate through various positions at Bayer while earning the MBA through the KU School of Business. Having the program available could prove attractive to animal health companies looking at moving to Kansas City, as many need managers who have scientific knowledge.

"This is the perfect program for professionals who are already working in the animal-health industry and want to explore an innovative new career path," Jamie Jackson, director of human resources at Bayer Animal Health, said when the program was announced last summer.

This isn't the first time Bayer has taken part in the Animal Health Corridor movement, however; the company and its president and general manager, Joerg Ohle, have been one of the main supporters of the initiative since its beginnings in 2005.

The Kansas City Area Life Sciences Institute spurred the Animal Health Corridor as part of efforts to lure more bioscience companies to the area. Bayer, the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce and the Kansas City Area Development Council became involved, and research found that the there was a wealth of animal health companies in the area along Interstate 70, between the veterinary schools at Kansas State University and Missouri University at Columbia.

A study confirmed that the companies in the corridor represented a larger market share in the animal health industry than anywhere else in the world. Four of the 10 largest animal health companies were in the corridor, including Bayer, and 42 companies had their U.S. or global headquarters in the corridor.

Bayer's participation in the movement includes Ohle's position as chair of the initiative's advisory board, and Bob Walker, Bayer Animal Health's director of communications, serves as a member of a group that meets monthly to discuss progress in the corridor.

Currently, more than 120 animal health companies call the corridor home, accounting for $5.1 billion, or 32 percent, of the $15.2 billion global animal health industry. And all indications show many more will be on their way.

Word about the corridor initiative has reached national levels, with articles written by the Associated Press, The Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association and Animal Pharm World Animal Health & Nutrition News magazine.

And the most telling evidence: the Kansas City Area Development Council is currently working with about 15 companies concerning a relocation or expansion.

"That's good, because when we started this initiative, there were three," Walker said.

All of this, including the new MBA program, will be promoted anew at the North American Veterinary Conference Jan. 21 in Orlando, Fla., and the Western Veterinary Conference Feb. 19 in Las Vegas, Walker said.