Colorado ranks high in biotech, science

Colorado ranks among the 20 best places for the biotechnology industry, according to Genome Technology magazine, a speciality print and online publication for molecular biology scientists, professionals and engineers.
The publication listed the Denver-Boulder area as one of nine emerging biotechnology regions along with Alabama, New York, Tennessee, Texas, the St. Louis-Kansas City area; Oslo, Norway; China and India. The 11 established regions included Boston, San Diego, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Research Triangle, N.C., Florida, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Ontario, Canada and Singapore.
The Denver-Boulder area was selected, Genome Technology said in its June issue, because of its 10,000 biotechnology workers, a $150 million expansion planned by Amgen Inc. in Boulder and the recent conversion of the former Fitzsimmons Army Medical Center to a bioscience business park that includes the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Children’s Hospital and a biotechnology incubator.
Colorado also scored a fourth-place ranking from Families USA’s Global Health Initiative among states generating the most economic activity per dollar of funding from the National Institutes of Health. Colorado generated $787 million in business activity from $336 million in NIH funding, or $2.34 for each dollar of funding from the agency, which ranked the state behind Texas, California and Georgia.
The Milken Institute’s State Technology and Science Index ranked Colorado third after Massachusetts and Maryland, based on 77 indicators ranging from research and development, risk capital, entrepreneurial infrastructure to human capital investment, technology and science work force and technology concentration and dynamism. Colorado previously was ranked third in 2004 and second in 2002 by the institute.

Local biotech industry focus of upcoming luncheon

“Building a Biotech Hub in Colorado Springs” will be the topic of an upcoming luncheon co-sponsored by the Colorado Springs Economic Development Corp. and the Colorado BioScience Association. Kevin Dwyer, a managing partner and co-founder of California-based Pacific BioDevelopment LLC will discuss what it will take for Colorado Springs to enhance its fledlging biotech industry. Former Colorado Springs City Manager Lorne Kramer, who retired last month, also will be honored at the luncheon. The luncheon takes place at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, July 24, at The Broadmoor hotel's west ballroom. More information or to register: www.coloradosprings.org/EventDetails or 471-8183.