Colorado is “charging hard” in its quest to be a leading center for biotechnology, said James Greenwood, president and chief executive of the Biotechnology Industry Organization.
“The political leadership in Colorado and academic leadership has recognized that biotechnology is really the future in many ways,” said the head of the national group that advocates for the biotechnology industry. “They are making some pretty dramatic strides. They’re running very fast.”
Greenwood is visiting Denver to speak about the industry at a bioscience forum today.
Company executives, political leaders and presidents from four leading universities in the state are expected to discuss current challenges in the industry.
To be successful in the biotechnology cluster takes a combination of intellectual resources, large companies and ample funding streams, Greenwood said.
“We hope that the forum serves to get the message out that there are important state and federal issues that are essential for industry to address if the industry is to grow in Colorado,” said Denise Brown, executive director of the Colorado BioScience Association, which has 320 members.
Colorado has the ability to become a leading area for biotechnology, Greenwood said.
“I think the ingredients are here,” Greenwood said. “Colorado is not in the top-most tier right now, but it’s certainly headed in that direction.”
Colorado is home to research and manufacturing divisions of Roche Pharmaceuticals and Amgen Inc. Switzerland-based Roche employs 380 people in Boulder. Thousand Oaks, Calif.- based Amgen employs 800 at two manufacturing facilities in Longmont and Boulder.
The state also ranks 14th in funding from the National Institutes of Health. According to statistics from the NIH, Colorado received 913 awards from the federally funded organization in 2003.
Staff writer Kimberly S. Johnson can be reached at 303-820-1088 or kjohnson@denverpost.com.
