The selection of Manhattan as the site for a National Bio- and Agro-Defense Facility is garnering the state some major attention.

In the July issue of Business Facilities, Kansas was listed among the top 10 states in the country for biotechnology strength. In May, the state’s biotechnology efforts were part of a cover story on investing in the industry during down economic times.

The site selection magazine used 24 criteria in its ranking. The magazine considered the states’ funding for biotech programs, number of facilities, employment base, tax breaks for startups and university programs.

“We are the 32nd largest economy in the nation but have been ranked number nine for biotech strength,” Kansas Bioscience Authority President Tom Thornton said in a KBA news release. “This is happening because we are leveraging Kansas’ unique expertise and infrastructure to address key national challenges in health care, energy and biodefense.”

Last year, Kansas ranked 10th, Business Facilities editor-in-chief Jack Rogers said.

Rogers, who wrote the cover story, “Building Block for Growth,” praised the state’s academic resources, encouragement of commercial startup companies and ability to identify bioscience research clusters.

“(The states) that are the most successful are the ones that are having these industry, academic and government partnerships,” he said. “So I think Kansas has positioned itself very well.”

According to Rogers’ article, “the crown jewel in a glittering and lucrative array of biotech initiatives” was NBAF. The $650 million federal facility will bring in 1,500 construction jobs and employ 300 people with an annual payroll of $25 million to $30 million.

“It makes Kansas a major player in biotechnology,” Rogers said.

Kansas’ biotech industry isn’t the only thing receiving kudos across the state. CNBC ranked Kansas at No. 7 in its Top States for Business report. The CNBC report looked at 40 measures, including cost of doing business, work force, quality of life, economy, transportation, technology and innovation, education, business friendliness, access to capital and cost of living.