Business Facilities - March 2008 - (Page B12)

preneurs a unique and attractive combination of attributes that has already brought in some of the nation’s leading biotechnology and life sciences companies. The career of Dr. Matt Winkler shows how it all comes together. Dr. Winkler came from the University of Texas and started Ambion, which is a market leader in the development and supply of innovative RNA-based life sciences research and molecular biology products. The company grew to 400 employees before Dr. Winkler sold it to Applied Biosystems, another technology leader in the life sciences marketplace, which still has a significant presence in the Austin area. Worker at Ambion in Austin, TX Austin has made itself an ideal choice to grow a biotechnology business. In February 2007, the Austin Chamber of Commerce, which represents five counties with a population of over 1.5 million residents, formed the BioAustin Council to coordinate the growth of the Austin biocluster. Bruce Leander, chairman of the BioAustin Council and former Dr. Winkler then started a new company, Asuragen, which leverages its RNA and miRNA expertise into molecular diagnostics, pharmacogenomic services, and therapeutics, and now has 130 employees. Asuragen recently spun out another new company, Mirna Therapeutics, which works with microRNA to find new ways to fight diseases like cancer. The creation of these three companies reflects the powerful combination of entrepreneurship and innovation that Austin offers. By uniting research universities, venture capital, a talented local workforce, and community leadership dedicated to fostering successful business development, B-12 president of Ambion, describes the Council’s mission: “The Austin region is fully committed to the growth of the bio/life sciences industry cluster. Through the BioAustin Council, local life sciences companies will have more opportunities than in the past to network and collaborate.” Everything in biotechnology starts with innovation, new ideas, and the resources to explore them. Austin has earned its reputation as a center for innovation thanks in large part to the world-class University of Texas, home of the well-regarded College of Biomedical Engineering and its nationally ranked College of Pharmacy, along with over 100 research units in areas such as biochemistry, biological and medical engineering, and nanotechnology. Research being done at the University of Texas and SEMATECH (the semiconductor research consortium) is exploring the crossover between nanotechnology and biological applications. Overall, there are over 20 major colleges within 200 miles of Austin with a total enrollment in excess of 250,000 students. This provides an almost endless pool of young, well-educated talent and a fertile source of new ideas. It’s no accident that Austin inventors have been assigned patents at a rate that has outstripped other metropolitan areas during the past five years—a fact that led the Wall Street Journal to rank Austin one of the most inventive cities in the U.S. Developing ideas, however, is not enough—a biotechnology cluster needs the funding, expertise, and infrastructure to get ideas out of the university and into the marketplace. Austin is one of the top regions in the country for venture capital investment; venture capitalists poured over $650 million into Austin during 2007, and on a per capita basis, only Boston, San Francisco, and San Jose take in more venture capital investment than Austin. There are already six venture capital companies in Austin providing funding for life sciences and biotechnology. The Austin Technology Incubator, one of the top-ranked incubators in the country, provides vertical integration, talent, and expertise. Similarly, the Texas Life-sciences Commercialization Center in Georgetown, TX, 30 miles north of Austin, provides wet labs, clean rooms, and shared business resources for emerging technology companies engaged in biotechnology, life sciences, and nanotechnology business. These incubators provide physical space and assistance with getting products to market. Most biotechnology clusters in the United States are located along the east or west coasts; Austin, the only one in the Southwest, is strategically located in the center of the country and sits astride I-35, a major A S P E C I A L A D V E RT I S I N G S E C T I O N O F B U S I N E S S FA C I L I T I E S , B I O P H A R M , A N D P H A R M A C E U T I C A L E X E C U T I V E PHOTO CREDITS: AUSTIN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

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Business Facilities - March 2008 Contents First Word Snapshots California Seeks Immigration Reform To Spur Economic Growth Outside the Biotechnology Clusters Global Biotech Competition Heats Up Location Is Key To Your Bottom Line New Incentives For New Hampshire Metro Spotlight: Jersey City, NJ Europe's Center For Goods, Real and Virtual Access Your Markets From Pennsylvania Corporate Moves: Illinois Louisiana Upgrades Important Port Road Projects To Accelerate Michigan's Economy Corporate Moves: South Carolina Metro Spotlight: Salt Lake City, UT Advertiser Index Inside LiveXchange

Business Facilities - March 2008

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