Missouri is being touted as a bio-tech hub.Missouri Department of Economic Development Director Linda Martínez is at theInternational BIO Conference in Atlanta.
The Department ofEconomic Development is promoting Missourias a prime alternative for life sciences and bio-tech industry investment.
Spokesman JohnFougere says is’t important to those jobs and attract businesses to the stateto improve the economy.
Fougere says Missouri is an obviousleader in agriculture, as a state with more than two thousand life-sciencefirms, several major universities and wealth of research organizations.
Missouriis working with Soy Labs in California andMediomics in St. Louis– among others — on expansion projects in our state.
“Under GovernorNixon’s leadership, the state of Missouriis absolutely committed to transforming our statewide economy by creatingnext-generation jobs in the life and plant science fields and by attracting newhigh-tech businesses to the state,” Martínez says. “We are eager toget that message out to both national and international audiences here in Atlanta, and that Missouriis an attractive destination that life sciences and biotech organizationsshould strongly consider.”
Martínez met with, among others:
· The Japan ExternalTrade Organization — a Missouri delegation plans on attending the BIO Japanconference in October;
· Soy Labs LLC, aCalifornia-based company that produces next-generation soy-based nutritionalproducts that is considering locating within the planned Mexico, Mo., Plant Sciences Center development;
· Mediomics, a St.Louis-based early-stage biotech company that is working with the U.S.Department of Homeland Security to develop rapid responding agents to detectbiothreats and that is considering an expansion of its headquarters;
· The Illinois Departmentof Commerce and Economic Opportunity, to work together in bistate cooperationto raise the domestic and international profile of the Midwest for biotech andlife sciences investment in advanced of the 2010 BIO Conference, to be held inChicago.
“We have more than2,000 life-science related firms, several major universities, and a wealth ofadditional research-oriented organizations here in Missouri,” Martínez says. “Ourpresence in Atlantaand the resources we already have in our state demonstrate our commitment toembracing emerging science and technologies as opportunities to create the jobsof tomorrow and transform our economy.”
The Department of Economic Development says the BIOConference is the largest, global event for the biotechnologyindustry that attracts the biggest names in bio-tech. Last year’s conference attracted morethan 20,000 attendees from more than 70 countries and 48 states.
Economic Development has participated in the International BIO Conferencefor nearly a decade, in partnership with the Missouri Biotechnology Association, the Missouri Department of Agriculture, and various industry andcommunity leaders from Missouri.