In 1987, Kansas Technology Enterprise Corporation (KTEC) was a private/public partnership established by the state of Kansas to promote technology based economic development. KTEC traced its origins to the 1980s when the Kansas economy was in a slump and the state’s largest industries – aviation, oil & gas, and agriculture – were suffering from economic setbacks.

KTEC’s predecessor, the Kansas Advanced Technology Commission (KATC), began operation in 1983 with two employees and a budget of $200,000. KATC was created to assist with “high technology” projects. In 2011, the Kansas Legslature abolished the KTEC in a cost-cutting proposal by Governor Sam Brownback.