Virginia Bio Event Supports Regional Efforts To Grow Bioscience Industry

RICHMOND, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Virginia Bio, the statewide non-profit association representing the life science industry in the Commonwealth of Virginia, announced that it will support the growth and expansion of the Biosciences industry via its upcoming September 29 event, Women Building Bio: The XX Factor. Virginia Bio is actively collaborating with academic institutions as well as regional and global businesses to expand the industry’s footprint in the Commonwealth and beyond. As a partner in the BioHealth Capital Region campaign inclusive of Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia, Virginia Bio is focused on accelerating the region’s progress towards the goal of becoming “top 3 by 2023” among the biotech clusters in the U.S.

“In order to continue cultivating our efforts in the Commonwealth, we must align ourselves with partners and advocates from across the region”

According to the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, the Virginia life sciences industry employs over 22,700 people at more than 780 businesses. The estimated direct economic impact on the state of Virginia is $6.8 billion, with an additional $4.2 billion supporting economic activity around the state. The BioHealth Capital region employs an additional 62,500 people contributing significantly to the local economies.

“Our vibrant hub of biotech and basic science is generating new knowledge every day,” said Joanne Theurich, chief administrative officer of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Janelia Research Campus. “By actively developing Virginia’s and the Capital region’s presence in biotech, we can make our scientific community even more competitive.”

To build on the momentum of the state and regional accomplishments, the mission of the Women Building Bio conference is to engage all members of the life science community to collaborate, share strategies and drive conversations that will continue propelling the region forward. Barbara Newhouse, president and CEO of The ALS Association, will keynote the event. Additional speakers and panelists include distinguished biohealth leaders from around the state and Capital region.

“We are excited to be working with industry leaders across the Capital region to strengthen our efforts in creating next generation treatments,” said Rachel King, CEO of GlycoMimetics. “The support and advocacy provided by Virginia Bio has resulted in tremendous new opportunities for member organizations from the ability to recruit top talent to exposure for funding resources.”

“In order to continue cultivating our efforts in the Commonwealth, we must align ourselves with partners and advocates from across the region,” said Jeffrey Gallagher, CEO of Virginia Bio. “Our hope is that the Women Building Bio event will build collaborations within and across state lines to drive forward research and commercial success that will build a shared regional vision and accelerate our move to global preeminence in medical, agricultural and industrial bio applications.”

The Maryland, Virginia and District of Columbia area is consistently ranked in the top ten biotech clusters in the nation due to its strategic location between federal labs and agencies, life science companies and wide array of academic resources.

For more information regarding event details, registration and fees, click here.

About the Virginia Biotechnology Association

Virginia Bio is the premier statewide non-profit trade association for life sciences, promoting the considerable scientific and economic impact of the life sciences industry in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Virginia Bio is an advocate for the biopharmaceutical and device industries among federal, state and local policy-makers. Virginia Bio is the official state affiliate of the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), AdvaMed and the Medical Device Manufacturers Association (MDMA) and also collaborates closely with the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA). To learn more, visit www.vabio.org.