State & Local Issues

State governments in 2011 continued to see regional economic growth in the life sciences industry and in 2012 will increasingly focus attention on technology transfer and venture funding as mechanisms to increase private sector innovation related activities within their jurisdictions. Realizing that entrepreneurship is a key ingredient in economic development, states and localities are undertaking the support of programs that assist high technology businesses, and that capitalize on state regional presence of universities and federal laboratories.

Jobs and salaries in this industry have substantially grown in the past ten years. To date, there are more than 47,000 bioscience companies and 1.4 million workers in the United States.

Pete Pellerito discusses what is being done to provide the workforce for this broad and growing industry.

BIOtechNOW’s Tracy Cooley talks to Dr. Schubert of the  Bioscience Association of West Virginia about biotech in West Virginia – major areas of growth, the outlook for growth of the industry within the states, and plans for the upcoming  BIO International Convention.

You might have heard that the Prince of Wales, just days after hosting the Royal Wedding, paid us a visit here in Washington.  Prince Charles, a long-time organic food advocate and self-described environmentalist, was here to speak at a Washington Post symposium on the Future of Food.

Mark Herzog, executive director of the Virginia Biotechnology Association recently discussed the success and challenges facing the burgeoning bioscience industry in his state.