Bio International Convention Opens
By: Matthew Kirby, Project Director for Life Sciences
This morning marks the opening for the annual BIO International Convention (BIO) in Washington DC and the Develop Indy team is excited to be here representing the City of Indianapolis. BIO is the largest global event for the biotechnology industry, attracting nearly 20,000 industry leaders from 60 countries every year. Everyone who is anyone in the biotech business is here – and this year Indy is definitely the buzz of BIO.
Since the biotech community last convened, Indy has been on an unprecedented hot streak in our efforts to grow and attract life science jobs. In the last year alone, industry leaders including AIT Labs, Arcadia, Ascension Health, Beckman Coulter, Dow AgroSciences, and Roche Diagnostics have moved headquarters or expanded operations in Indianapolis. With several new bold development projects on the horizon, the future of the life sciences sector in Indy is extremely bright.
Foremost on the list of bold projects is the recently unveiled plan for a certified technology park on Indy’s near Northside known as 16 Tech – www.16TechIndy.com. As a truly one-of-a-kind location, 16 Tech offers life sciences companies one million square feet in customizable development opportunities, millions of dollars in public infrastructure improvements, and renovates a classic 1930’s era baseball stadium into an apartment complex. And 16 Tech offers all of these amenities in a location that is a 7-minute walk from the second largest medical school in the country and a 15-minute drive to Indianapolis International Airport, home to the second largest FedEx hub in the world.
But the buzz around Indy and the life science sector around the Hoosier state isn’t just hot air – it’s backed by hard data. A report released last week by BioCrossroads – www.BioCrossroads.com – chronicles a decade of strength and growth in Indiana’s life sciences. The Hoosier state now boasts the third highest concentration of life science employment in the country and ranks third in life science exports. We’re also home to the Indiana Health Information Exchange – the largest health information exchange in the US connecting the data of 90 hospitals, 19,000 physicians, and over 10 million patients.
The BIO Convention this year will host thousands of exhibitors so be sure to take some time and come visit us at the Indiana Pavilion, Booth #5017. In addition to the team from Develop Indy and 16 Tech, the Indiana delegation includes representatives from BioCrossroads, the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, Dow AgroSciences, Duke Energy, the Indiana Health Industry Forum, Purdue Research Park, Notre Dame, and several other local economic development organizations. You can also keep up-to-date on all the action at BIO by following us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/indylifescience.
We hope to see you here but for now – I better get back to the booth!
Matt
Develop Indy was invited by the Ambassador of Australia, the Honorable Kim Beazley, to a BIO reception at their D.C. embassy. The theme of the reception was “Australia Unlimited”.
Nancy Langdon of Develop Indy and the Ambassador of Australia
