New Arizona bioscience roadmap now available

More than 140,000 Arizonans are employed in the biosciences and career opportunities continue to grow. A new version of Arizona’s Bioscience Roadmap is available. The Roadmap provides specific strategies for kickstarting Arizona’s bioscience industry.

Among the ideas boosting collaboration across microchip and other industries; helping devices and treatments move more quickly from research lab to patient; nurturing and empowering entrepreneurs; and supporting STEM education and other ways to boost the workforce. The Roadmap is the nation’s longest-running statewide bioscience strategic plan.

Mary O’Reilly who is the Vice President, Bioscience Research Programs, Flinn Foundation joined “Arizona Horizon” to discuss the new strategies.

“The Arizona bioscience roadmap is a strategic plan for how to build a bioscience sector in Arizona,” O’Reilly said.

Arizona’s economy historically has been focused primarily on sectors like tourism, and copper. O’Reilly discussed that if we want to best utilize the state’s universities, communities, and the economy, that the state needs to diversify.

“…that the biosciences, which is focused on developing new therapies, new diagnostic tools, new medical devices,” O’Reilly explained, “…that it is an area where we can excel.”

There are roughly 140,000 people currently employed in the biosciences in Arizona. Among those includes 100,000 in the hospitals, and then 40,000 across different industries.

“What we’re looking at here is the blend of industry,” O’Reilly said, “…these companies who are really strong employers in our economy, they create great jobs…it’s an important area, we have assets so why not use them.”

According to O’Reilly, bioscience is everything related to life, and finding solutions to some of the many life problems. This can include treatment for alzheimer, development of a new pacemaker, handling crops.

“It’s a nice diverse area, and that’s why it’s such an interesting area for us to work in,” O’Reilly said.