On October 13, more than 250 executives, researchers, founders, and investors packed Vitria on the Square in Columbus for the fourth annual InnoHealth, hosted by Ohio Life Sciences, with JobsOhio as the premier sponsor. The agenda was tight, and the message was clear: the next wave of U.S. life sciences investment is looking for a home, and Ohio intends to be it.
Talent, Research, Capital
The morning centered on the three things every growing life sciences company needs. On talent, Ohio brings a workforce of 64,000 life sciences professionals. On research, the state draws roughly $1 billion in NIH funding each year, anchored by the Ohio Discovery Corridor‘s nine institutions across Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati. On capital, the conversation turned to how Ohio competes for a share of an estimated $500 billion in domestic manufacturing investment.
Spotlight: the Ohio Life Science Training Center
The centerpiece of the day was the Ohio Life Science Training Center in New Albany. Backed by up to $30 million from JobsOhio and operated by Ohio Life Sciences, the center opens in summer 2027 to train workers for high-demand biomanufacturing roles.
OLS President and CEO Eddie Pauline framed it simply: when training is built side by side with employers, companies can count on the talent being ready “when their doors open.”
That promise is already landing. Just days before InnoHealth, Bayer announced a $2.2 billion pharmaceutical manufacturing investment in New Albany, pointing to the training center as a factor in its site selection.
A Conversation With State Leadership
InnoHealth also featured a moderated Q&A with Vivek Ramaswamy, and an appearance by David Pepper, giving Ohio’s top life sciences leaders a direct line to the conversation about the state’s next chapter.
Thank you
The connections started the night before at our networking happy hour at The Junto. Thank you to our sponsors, speakers, partners at JobsOhio, and every leader who joined us. Ohio’s momentum is real, and it’s built by the people in that room.
See you at InnoHealth 2027.
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