October 2020 Group Watch: State Bioscience Industry Shines
A recent event in Birmingham — headlined by U.S. Senator Doug Jones; Michell McMurry-Heath, CEO of BIO-Biotechnology Innovation Organization; Bob Hess of Newmark Knight Frank; and Dr. Regina Benjamin, an Alabama native and former U.S. Surgeon General — shone a spotlight on the importance and successes of Alabama’s bioscience sector. The state’s researchers and entrepreneurs have stepped up in a major way during the pandemic, making contributions that support diagnostic testing, potential treatments and vaccine development. The economic impact of Alabama’s bioscience industry is estimated at $7.3 billion. The sector encompasses 780 companies, 48,000 direct and indirect jobs, a $68,000 average annual salary, and received $1.3 billion in National Institutes of Health funding during a recent year.
