An update from Eddie Pauline, BioOhio President & CEO.
Attending the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine’s Cell and Gene Meeting on the Mesa this week energizes and redoubles my conviction that Ohio can and should be the premier ecosystem to cultivate this growing industry.
If you’ve not heard of this conference before, The Cell & Gene Meeting on the Mesa brings together the cell and gene therapy sector to advance cutting-edge research into cures and tackle commercialization hurdles. This year more than 1,700 attendees took part in the hybrid conference.
Forge Biologics presenting at CGM21
Ohio well represented on the Mesa
Panel discussion at CGM21
Among hundreds of companies focused on healing people and saving lives, BioOhio member companies like Forge Biologics, Athersys, and CTI, took center stage over the two-day session by sharing best practices, insights, and plans for continued growth and innovation. I was proud to be there in person to represent Ohio’s bioscience community and was encouraged that colleagues from JobsOhio and REDI Cincinnati participated as well.
The disappointing news? Too many people were unaware of Ohio’s prominence and leadership in this field. We made progress this week, seizing this opportunity when few if any, other state entities attended. But we can do so much more. It is clear that as we continue honing BioOhio’s new strategy, we can better connect the stars in our ecosystem.
Companies outside of Ohio engaging in testing and trials at our research institutions and CROs should know the full extent of our state’s assets and the advantages of locating here. We can attract greater investment and talent by collectively and collaboratively celebrating the achievements and potential of Ohio’s existing companies, startups, and transplants. Let’s not keep our achievements a secret!
I welcome the chance to work with our members, economic development partners, and other stakeholders to make this effort a priority. Thanks to your great work, we have compelling stories to share with interested audiences across the country. Send us your Ohio successes & discoveries and we’ll add them to the hundreds of gene and cell therapy stories already on the BioOhio.com news page.
Let’s be sure to have an even stronger presence on the Mesa next year!
Athersys presenting at CGM21