The first news of the day is the release of a new report by BIO and Batelle. The report is titled, “Growing The Nation’s Biotech Sector: State Bioscience Initiatives 2006.” You can find the executive summary here. The report says that the biosciences now consist of more than 40,000 businesses employing 1.2 million people in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. Some other key findings include:
Total employment in the biosciences in the United States reached 1.2 million in 2004, with bioscience workers found in all 50 states and Puerto Rico. The highest rate of growth in jobs is in the research, testing, and medical laboratories sector.
The nation’s 1.2 million bioscience jobs generated an additional 5.8 million jobs in the economy. Each bioscience job in the United States generates 5.7 additional jobs in affiliated industries.
States are spending billions of dollars to support bioscience research and development, with research funds and construction of academic and medical facilities.
States are also using investment funds and tax incentives to attract large industry anchors, instead of solely focusing on launching and growing new bioscience ventures.
Smaller states that have not traditionally invested in building bioscience industries are beginning to do so.
AgWired coverage of BIO 2006 is made possible by: 
