O ver the past several years, Florida's bioscience industry has continued to grow, attracting some of the world's leading research institutes. That momentum began in the mid-2000s when former Gov. Jeb Bush, recognizing biotechnology as a growth industry for the state, successfully attracted an expansion operation for the Scripps Research Institute to Jupiter through $300 million in incentives that were matched by Palm Beach County. Since that time, more than $1 billion in incentive investments has contributed to the attraction of other prestigious research institutes such as Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, Torrey Pines Institute for Molecular Studies, Vaccine & Gene Therapy Institute, Draper Laboratories, Stanford Research Institute and Max Planck Institute.
These organizations have established or are currently building hundreds of thousands of square feet of new laboratory and office facilities and employ more than 1,000 researchers, administrators and other workers. Over the last six years, when construction cranes have been silenced in many industries and regions, activity in Florida's bioscience industry has remained strong. In fact, Florida is now one of the fastest growing states for creation of biotechnology, medical device and pharmaceutical companies.
To read the full, original article click on this link: Commentary: Florida’s Research Power: Capital is needed to build on the strength of renowned labs.
