The Arizona Bioindustry Association (AZBio) today announced the final line up for the fourth annual Arizona Bioscience Week which will begin on September 30, 2019, and conclude on October 4, 2019.
“Arizona’s bioscience industry is committed to discovering, developing and delivering innovative medicines, medical devices and healthcare technologies that make life better for people in Arizona and around the world,” stated Joan Koerber-Walker, president and CEO of AZBio. “Arizona Bioscience Week is an opportunity for Arizonans and visitors from across the country to come together and see why Arizona is one of the top emerging bioscience states.”
As the 48th state, Arizona is the youngest state in the continental United States. Founded by pioneers and now one of the fastest-growing states by population year after year, Arizonans developed a collaborative culture where people come together to tackle big challenges and build solutions. The State of Arizona has committed significant investments to building the bioscience sector including $1.5 billion invested in university research infrastructure (2003-2017) while the people of Arizona have contributed over $1 billion more via the Technology and Research Initiative Fund or TRIF which was established by a voter-approved sales tax from 2000-2021 and extended through 2041 by the legislature in 2018. All told, over $19 billion has been invested by public and private entities as well as philanthropic donors since 1997. And, these investments are paying off.
As reported in the Arizona Fact Sheet, a component of Investment, Innovation and Job Creation in a Growing U.S. Bioscience Industry (TEConomy/BIO, 2019): “Arizona has a sizable and rapidly growing bioscience industry. State bioscience firms employed 25,686 in 2016 in 1,310 individual business establishments. Industry employment has grown by 9 percent since 2014, twice the growth rate of the nation, with four of the five major subsectors adding jobs during the period. Both drugs and pharmaceuticals and research, testing and medical labs have experienced double-digit job growth since 2014. Arizona inventors have been awarded nearly 2,000 bioscience-related patents since 2014, among the second quintile of states in patent activity. Since 2015, NIH awards to Arizona institutions have increased, reaching $189 million in FY 2017.”
Arizona Bioscience Week events span five days from September 30 to October 4, 2019 and include networking events, scientific conferences, investor conferences, and more. Arizona Bioscience Week was proclaimed by the Arizona Legislature and is presented by AZBio and the Arizona Commerce Authority.
Arizona Bioscience Week will kick off on Monday, September 30th with Leading Women: Biotech and Beyond. Hosted by Perkins Coie-Phoenix and AZBio, this evening reception will feature an inspirational fireside chat with Samira Kiani, MD of the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University, Mitzi Krockover, MD of Golden Seeds, and Brandy Wells of Pfizer. The panel will be moderated by Lara Dueppen, PhD of Perkins Coie.
On Tuesday, October 1st, the Arizona BioPreneur Conference and Reception will take place at the Flinn Foundation. The program is tailored to the bioscience entrepreneur, featuring opportunities to learn from seasoned professionals, meet and network with fellow bioscience entrepreneurs, and more.
Wednesday, October 2nd will begin with The Discovering New Medicines in Arizona Summit. Taking place on the Phoenix Biomedical Campus, the summit will highlight key areas of research in discovering effective drug candidates in prevalent diseases in Arizona while establishing collaborations that enable success in these key areas and is presented by the Arizona Center for Drug Discovery and the University of Arizona Cancer Center.
A key component of Arizona Bioscience Week, the AZBio Awards & Life Science Fiesta (AZBio Awards) brings together Arizona’s life science and leadership community with visitors from around the country to celebrate life-science innovation and innovators. The AZBio Awards takes place on the evening of October 2, 2019 at the Phoenix Convention Center. Highlights of the evening will include honoring the honorable Jane Dee Hull, 20th Governor of the State of Arizona with the AZBio Pioneer Award for Lifetime Achievement and a celebration of the achievements of leading researchers, educators, and innovator companies.
The Life Science Fiesta following the award ceremony features a Student Discovery Zone that showcases the work of fifty students from Arizona high schools, community colleges, and universities along with exhibits featuring Arizona companies and patient advocacy organizations. Over 800 Arizona students have had the opportunity to make connections with industry leaders since the program began in 2011 thanks to support from AZBio, the Opportunity Through Entrepreneurship Foundation, and Dignity Health.
The 2019 Phoenix BioHealth Impact Forum will include the AZBio Awards on October 2nd and a full day impact forum on October 3rd at the University of Arizona College of Medicine on the Phoenix Biomedical Campus. The forum is hosted by Cavendish Global, in partnership with AZBio. The forum will conclude with an evening reception at Arizona Science Center which will provide additional opportunities for the Cavendish Community to connect and engage with Arizona’s life science and healthcare community.
Cavendish Global is a peer-to-peer community of paradigm-changing innovators in health and the life sciences including over 200 leading family offices, philanthropists, foundations and impact investors; key opinion leaders; and renowned institutional partners that share a passion for well-conceived impact investing, sustainable philanthropy, and delivering transformational impact.
Greater PHX Fest will wrap up the week as the Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC) celebrates 30 years of connecting people, place and tech.
“Arizona Bioscience Week is an excellent example of our collaborative culture in action,” said Koerber-Walker. “Thanks to the combined efforts of leaders, financial supporters, and community partners, it provides an opportunity for Arizonans and guests from across the country to connect, engage, and experience life science innovation…Arizona style.”
