A new partnership between the state and a life sciences trade organization could usher in a new era in biotechnology growth in the Upstate and South Carolina.
The South Carolina Biotechnology Industry Organization (SCBIO) will work with the South Carolina Department of Commerce on a strategic plan that includes attracting more life sciences sectors to the state, says Wayne Roper, president of SCBIO, which was formed in 2004 and became a self-sustaining membership-driven trade association six years ago.
“We have the expertise and the interest in developing the job,” Roper says. “We know how to get the most bang for our buck in economic development.”
The partnership will begin with an inventory of life sciences companies and assets in the state, including on-site visits to pharmaceutical, medical device, research, diagnostic and medical equipment companies and their suppliers.
Next, SCBIO and state officials will identify opportunities to attract more human life-sector companies to the state, and then they’ll support the commercialization of research for South Carolina universities, Roper says.
The state is developing expertise in biopharmaceutical manufacturing, which is a burgeoning field, created by small companies, he says.
This type of manufacturing fills a huge need as some predict that half of all prescriptions will be biopharmaceuticals within the next four years, Roper says. “We’re talking about drugs for rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, diabetes, for autoimmune diseases; these are the treatments.”
South Carolina is well positioned to attract life science industries that fit within existing companies and infrastructure, without competing with Boston or North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park, Roper says.
Ultimately, the initiative could result in more high-paying jobs and the development of more business relationships and supply chains.
“We’re going to find companies that fit with South Carolina’s economy and ability to support and grow,” he says. “The field is vast.”
