Leadership Notes: Growing our industries key to economy

Last month we relaunched our state’s association created to collaborate for the growth of the life science industry. Life Science Oklahoma is a reinvigoration of the former OKBio and comes to market with a new plan for success and significant enthusiasm for success.

Rebuilding this critical organization is one of the projects included Oklahoma City’s Build Back Better Federal grant program. Your Chamber led the application process for Oklahoma City and is the lead on this critical implementation piece of the grant.

The new organization debuted on the world’s largest stage for the biotechnology community, BIO International, the annual meeting of nearly 20,000 attendees from all over the world. The Oklahoma team connected with partners, potential funders and each other during the nearly week-long event.

Industry organizations like Life Science Oklahoma are vital to growing an economic cluster. The collaboration they engender facilitates connections and innovation. Our life science industry is ready for more recognition and is primed for growth. This is the ideal environment for the new organization to find success.

The continued diversification of our economy is dependent on growing multiple sectors of business and developing more robust activity within each of our sectors. In Life Science, moving from research and drug development to manufacturing is one example. Growing our capacity in medical device development is another. Oklahoma has so many opportunities to play a vital role in our nation’s bioscience sector and this reformed statewide organization will help us maximize each of these areas.

Congratulations to our life science partners on this new association – we are committed to you and to its success.