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BizVoice/Indiana Chamber – March/April 2014
Indiana is a powerful contender
in the life sciences ring.
It generates $50 billion annually
in economic impact and employs
55,000-plus people in sectors
ranging from pharmaceuticals and
medical devices to diagnostics,
research and development, and
agriculture sciences.
Indiana was ranked as one of the nation’s
top five states (based on the total number of
life sciences companies and employees) by
Ohio-based global scientific research institute
Battelle in 2013. The other four: New Jersey,
Massachusetts, California and North Carolina.
BizVoice
®
brought together a panel to
share insights on how Indiana can grow its assets
even more, and to reflect on what opportunities
and challenges the future may hold.
Participants:
• Lori Ball, chief operating officer, BioStorage
Technologies, at
• Curt Rossman, principal, AlpInvest
Partners, at
• Brian Stemme, project director, BioCrossroads,
at
• Simon Tripp, senior director, Battelle
Technology Partnership Practice, at
Testing the possibilities
Ten years ago, Indiana was an up-and-
coming player in the life sciences game.
While dramatic growth has taken place since,
innovation will continue to open new doors.
“I think what you’ll find is that Indiana
will do a good job of holding its own,” Tripp
asserts. “In the face of tighter funding and
increasing global competition, Indiana has
been putting in place an environment where
you can help your industry stay strong and
survive. A lot of other states won’t have put
those things in place.”
Stemme foresees agricultural sciences
gaining increased attention.
“If you think about organic and local food –
and other issues around a concern for animal
health – how will the industry address those
broader societal needs and continue to grow the
amount of food that we produce?” he speculates.
The Indiana Biosciences Research
Institute is the first industry-led entity of its
type in the nation. Start-up funding reached
$50 million in 2013 through support from the
Under
the
Microscope
Discovering Ways to Grow
Indiana’s Life Sciences Advantage
By Symone Skrzycki
Roundtable
