A message from Eddie Pauline, President & CEO
Connectivity makes Ohio’s life sciences community unique
Our team had the chance to rep our new OLS swag at the Council of State Bio Associations meeting in Washington, D.C., last week. The meeting convened all 46 of our peer life sciences organizations from around the country into one place, where we talked about connecting members in our ecosystem, economic growth, workforce development, and policy efforts. It’s no secret that we love our new look, but it was great to see the way other life sciences advocates reacted to it. Person after person noted how our new logo reflects the connectedness of our state: not just the three Cs, but communities Ohio-wide.
That connectivity is part of what makes Ohio’s life sciences community unique. In many other states, this growing sector exists in just one city or region. But in Ohio, life sciences research, development, and production occurs in nearly all of our 88 counties.
The life sciences landscape in our state has evolved into something dynamic and sophisticated, bringing us a once-in-a-generation chance to make Ohio a national leader in this arena. I know that leadership matters. If we are bold enough to seize this opportunity and become a destination for the life sciences, we could create incredible economic opportunities for our residents. But we can also improve the lives of people worldwide through the innovations developed right here in Ohio.
That opportunity is why we refreshed our mission and strategy. OLS has a new goal: to convene, advocate and accelerate the life sciences — boldly. In D.C. last week, I served on an economic development panel and talked about our partnership with JobsOhio to bring new companies to Ohio. I also discussed our desire to advocate for an SBIR matching fund and, afterward, heard from a number of people about the challenges facing the life sciences industry nationwide.
Some of those challenges come from not yet telling a strong enough story to our policymakers about the impact of the life sciences in Ohio. I believe most of our elected officials, from those at hyperlocal levels to those serving in our nation’s capital, truly want to make decisions that benefit their constituents. But we need to tell them a succinct story about the impact of our industry, one that cuts through the noise of all the other issues in front of them. And after this most recent election, our education and advocacy efforts will become even more important, as nearly half of incoming federal lawmakers and about 40 at the state level are new to their offices.
This is where all of us come in, where our statewide connectivity becomes even more important. Our new structure as a trade association will allow us to invest more in these efforts, so know that OLS is advocating on behalf of the life sciences at the state level and often joins our peers in advocating at the federal level. We can also provide resources for advocacy efforts at the regional, county, and community levels. With that, I’d like to ask you to consider talking with officials near you about how the life sciences benefit your area, and the policy support you and your organizations need to be successful.
Of course, if you are not already an OLS member, I encourage you to join to take full advantage of the connections we can help you make. And if you happen to be in or near central Ohio this Wednesday, December 14th, I invite you to join us for a networking event to discuss workforce issues facing our industry.
We have a chance to make Ohio’s life sciences ecosystem one of the most robust and innovative in the U.S. Let’s make it happen, boldly, together.
Eddie Pauline
President & CEO
Ohio Life Sciences