Industry Snapshot

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Throughout the last few centuries iron smelting, steel production and railroading have seen their days at the height of industry in Pennsylvania. These heavy industries have declined, but the state still manufactures metal products, transportation equipment, foodstuffs, machinery, chemicals and a wide variety of plastic, rubber, stone, clay and glass products. Agriculture, a top industry for the state, is concentrated in the southeast and the Great Appalachian Valley. Tourism is the second-largest industry in the state. And advanced technology industries are flourishing.

Pennsylvania has asserted itself as a key player in the Life Sciences community. It has the largest concentration of tissue engineering firms, is the second largest biopharmaceutical state and ranks third in biotech employment in the nation. Over 2,000 life science-related companies employing more than 84,000 professionals are located in the state.

From its position in the center of metropolitan centers across the east coast, the Commonwealth is dedicated to providing the environment and resources necessary to attract and grow new life science businesses. These include:

• An over $2 billion life sciences investment strategy.
• A $2 billion Economic Stimulus Program.
• $100 million invested in three regional Life Sciences Greenhouses.
• More than $1.1 billion in venture funding.
• "Keystone Opportunity Zones."
• Access to renowned scientific and clinical research institutions, including Carnegie Mellon University, Lehigh University, Pennsylvania State University, The University of Pennsylvania, The University of Pittsburgh and Thomas Jefferson University.

Pennsylvania, in the largest life sciences research, development and commercialization initiative ever funded by a single state, has committed $2 billion in funding (19 percent from its share of the national tobacco settlement) for the growth of the industry. Main components of the initiative include a $1.6 billion investment in life sciences and biomedical research, $100 million to seed three Life Sciences Greenhouses and $60 million in venture capital funding.

The PA Life Sciences Greenhouse Initiative has developed three centers of innovation, research and development throughout the Commonwealth: The Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse, The Life Sciences Greenhouse of Central Pennsylvania and BIOAdvance (the Biotechnology Greenhouse Corporation of Southeastern PA). Each is a public/private partnership (affiliating government, business, universities and economic development partners) intending to meet its goals of accelerating economic growth and creating jobs. These objectives are being realized by leveraging discoveries in the life sciences through accelerated technology transfer, shared lab and equipment opportunities, technology development funding, gap funding for new start-ups, patent protection funding, relocation assistance, business services and workforce development. The opportunities provided by this collaborative approach to information sharing are enormous. Advances in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering, bionanofabrication, advanced robotics, bioinformatics, accelerated platforms for drug discovery and linked centers for clinical trials have been realized. The Greenhouse Initiative provides an innovative mechanism for the commercialization of Life Science business opportunities through transferring technology from research laboratories to entrepreneurial start-up companies, enhancing collaboration between academic, entrepreneurial, corporate, financial and governmental partners, and attracting new companies to the state.

The Team Pennsylvania Foundation, overseen by business leaders and senior government officials, has revolutionized economic development and achieved tremendous success with new business growth in the state. New businesses have numerous resources at hand to facilitate their objectives. The state, counties and municipalities offer attractive grants, low-interest loans and other financial incentives within the biotech sector. The Innovation Partnership, a consortium of economic development and business assistance organizations, helps start-up technology companies (particularly biotechnology, nanotechnology, advanced manufacturing, and communications technology businesses) acquire federal funding. Pennsylvania's Office of International Business Development (OIBD) handles international business functions catered to the life science industry. Pennsylvania Bio, a state-wide networking and advocacy organization, unites the region's biotechnology, pharmaceutical, research and financial communities.

Several regions in the state have asserted themselves as life science hubs. Life science companies are flourishing in the Lehigh Valley, Centre County, and the Harrisburg-Hershey area as well as in Philadelphia.

The Lehigh Valley region, located in and around Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton (in the middle of New York-New Jersey-Philadelphia biopharma triangle), is ripe for economic opportunities and home to an increasing collection of life science companies. Some of these include ABEC, Aesculap, Applied Separations, Arista Biologicals, Sanofi Pasteur, Sartorius BBI Systems, B. Braun Medical, Bio Med Sciences, Biocode, Calcigen Corporation, Digestive Care, Entopath, Fisher Clinical Services, Immuna Care, Micro-Clean, NPR Healthcare, OraSure Technologies, Serenix Pharmaceuticals and Supercritical Solutions. Besides its ideal location, the area offers access to eleven colleges and universities active in life sciences education and landmark research, nationally ranked hospitals, a highly skilled and educated workforce, competitive real estate prices, outstanding quality of life and an affordable cost of living.

Southeastern Pennsylvania is home to an unparalleled foundation of academic institutions, research facilities, and healthcare resources. The area has the second largest concentration of biopharmaceutical jobs in North America. Philadelphia was host to BIO1996 and BIO2005, the Biotechnology Industry Organization’s, annual international convention of biotechnology companies and related organizations.

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