Youngstown Daily Legal News

BioOhio marks 30th anniversary

KEITH ARNOLD
Special to the Legal News
Published: July 3, 2017

BioOhio, the state's bioscience membership organization, recently announced celebration of its 30th year in business with a special campaign recognizing the life changing work being done in Ohio to improve global quality of life.

The aim of BioOhio30 is to provide a library of stories that demonstrate Ohio's climate of discovery and commitment to patients, and to achieving an increased nationwide appreciation of the diverse and groundbreaking research and development happening at local organizations.

A special video message from former Cincinnati Bengal Solomon Wilcots, a dedicated patient advocate, is partnering with the organization throughout the campaign.

With the support of longtime BioOhio member, Athersys, BioOhio30 is expected to focus on the vast innovation in Ohio for the benefit of patients.

The announcement coincides with the release of the 2017 Ohio Bioscience Growth Report.

The new report presents the strengths and assets of Ohio's bioscience community, focusing on bioscience business and research occurring in Ohio and its six regions, including pharmaceuticals & therapeutics, medical devices, research & development, laboratories & imaging centers, digital health, agricultural biotechnology, bio-based materials & fuels, and their respective infrastructures, according to a press release.

Metrics covered in the report, such as tracking of investment, average wages, research funding, expansions, and new company growth, serve as a gauge of the industry. Beyond the numbers, however, the work being done by Ohio's bioscience community is so much more important than any of these figures can convey.

The press release detailed that Ohioans are curing debilitating pediatric diseases, creating less invasive surgical tools, formulating cleaner and more efficient biofuels, programming highly accurate diagnostic imaging techniques, improving provider processes to reduce patient costs, and personalizing medication delivery for individual patients.

The report highlighted the bioscience industry's economic impact throughout the Buckeye State, with bioscience-related companies found in all but seven Ohio counties.

More than 75,000 employees, the highest on record, work with at least 3,186 bioscience-related organizations, manufacturing products, providing essential services, or researching the next breakthrough at 3,994 facilities in Ohio, generating $5.68 billion of payroll at an average wage of $75,640.

All six Ohio regions have experienced growth in the bioscience industry and play a role in advancing critical discoveries, the statement continued.

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