Phoenix leading nation in bioscience and life science job growth

Bioscience is booming in Phoenix. Industry leaders say that means better health care, a more robust economy, and innovation that could one day cure cancer. Look around downtown, midtown, south and north Phoenix, and you will see hospitals, labs, research and medical schools.

The aim is to develop better treatments, invent new technology, and diagnose diseases earlier– anything to improve patient outcomes and lives.

Arizona’s universities and local community colleges are expanding their health programs and working to develop and retain new medical professionals.

In fact, according to a study by the Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC), Phoenix is outpacing the nation in bioscience and life science employment growth, and funding from the National Institutes of Health to Arizona has grown 39% since 2019, the highest growth rate of any market in the U.S.

Chris Camacho from the Greater Phoenix Economic Council discussed the Phoenix bioscience core that drives this boom in the industry.

“We’re sitting here in downtown Phoenix and right up the road here you have the Phoenix bioscience core which is 30-acres and roughly about six-million square feet of just bioscience space is going to get built downtown,” Camacho said.

This industry primarily has a focus on cancer detection, prevention and curing.

“A number of scientists in Phoenix say that the road to solving cancer could happen through Phoenix,” Camacho said.

Neuroscience is also quickly growing within the field according to Camacho.

“Imagine a future where nationally you’re sending mom and dad here or maybe dealing with an infliction you have you’re self, coming to Phoenix for that kind of neuroscience care,” Camacho said.

Phoenix isn’t just growing in the semiconductor market, Camacho says, biosciences growth in Phoenix leads the nation.

“When you look at the economics, this is very significant for the nation. The last time I was here we were talking about semiconductors and now we’re talking about biologics, talking about med devices, tremendous amounts of growth that has happened just in the bioscience sector alone. We’re a top-four market in the entire United States for job growth for bio and life sciences,” Camacho said.