INDIANAPOLIS (Nov. 14, 2022) – The State of Indiana, as well as seven Hoosier cities, have once again been recognized for their national life science strengths, according to Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) and TEConomy Partners’ biennial survey of the U.S. life sciences industry. The report, The U.S. Bioscience Industry: Fostering Innovation and Driving America’s Economy Forward, measures growth in the biosciences sector* from 2018 to 2021 for the entire country and each of the fifty states.
Indiana continued its top 10 employment ranking in the life sciences, with a sizeable workforce and industry concentration in the areas of agriculture feedstock and chemicals, drugs and pharmaceuticals, and medical devices and equipment. The state is also one of only eight states with employment specializations in three of five bioscience sectors. In addition, Indiana is ranked third for academic biosciences research and development (R&D) investment growth, increasing 23 percent from 2018 to 2021. Bloomington, Columbus, Evansville, Indianapolis, Lafayette, South Bend and Terre Haute are identified in the report as having significant life sciences activity. Bloomington and Lafayette were called out specifically for their diverse set of bioscience strengths – they are two of only nineteen cities in the U.S. to have employment specializations in three of the five industry subsectors.
“Indiana’s life sciences industry continues to drive innovation and rank in the top quintile nationwide,” said Patty Martin, president and CEO of BioCrossroads. “Our employment numbers have increased by 8 percent over the last three years; our venture capital investments have grown; and we have maintained our status as a leader in the pharmaceutical, medical device and agriculture sectors.”
For large metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) (employment greater than 250,000):
- Indianapolis is 5th nationally for the number of Drugs and Pharmaceuticals jobs. It ranks 9th in the U.S. for Agricultural Feedstock and Chemicals jobs, and it is 25th for Bioscience-related distribution jobs.
For Medium MSAs (employment between 75,000 and 250,000):
- Evansville ranks 11th for Agricultural Feedstock and Chemicals.
- Lafayette has four subsectors with specialized employment concentration and has improved its standing significantly in two areas since the last report in 2020. It is now number 1 in Agricultural Feedstock and Chemicals and 6th nationally, moving up from 18th in 2020. In the Drugs and Pharmaceuticals category, Lafayette vaulted its position to 3rd from 13th.
- South Bend-Mishawaka catapulted six positions from 2020 and is now 8th in Medical Devices.
For Small MSAs (employment less than 75,000):
- Bloomington has been the number 1 in the Medical Devices and Equipment category for specialized employment concentration for the last eight years. It is also the second highest region for Pharmaceuticals and is ranked 17th nationally for Medical Devices and Equipment, up from 20th in 2020. The region is also 13th in Bioscience-Related Distribution.
- Columbus made its debut on the list of cities with high activity this year ranking 15th for Pharmaceuticals.
- Terre Haute moved up two places and is now 12th in the Drugs and Pharmaceuticals category.
“It’s impressive that seven Hoosier cities from North to South and East to West are being recognized for strong life sciences activity, spreading out the economic impact across the state,” said Kristen Jones, president of the Indiana Health Industry Forum. “It’s critical that we keep investing in this sector that provides jobs, tax revenue, and most importantly, life-saving products, to Hoosiers.”
Indiana is home to the global headquarters of Elevance, Inc., Cook Medical, Eli Lilly and Company, and Zimmer Biomet and the North American headquarters of Roche Diagnostics. Beckman Coulter, Boston Scientific, Catalent Biologics, Corteva Agriscience, Covance, DePuy Orthopaedics, Express Scripts, Medtronic, and Reckitt Benckiser all host major operations in the state.
According to the report, 2.1 million people work in the U.S. bioscience industry, which has seen employment growth of 11 percent since 2018. In addition, the sector contributes more than $2.9 trillion to the U.S. economy.
The full report is available at www.bio.org
About BioCrossroads
BioCrossroads (www.biocrossroads.com) is Indiana’s initiative to grow, advance and invest in the life sciences, supporting the region’s existing research and corporate strengths while encouraging new business development. BioCrossroads invests capital and provides support to life sciences businesses, launches new life sciences enterprises (Indiana Biosciences Research Institute, 16 Tech, Indiana Health Information Exchange, BioCrossroadsLINX, OrthoWorx and Datalys Center), expands collaboration and partnerships among Indiana’s life science institutions, promotes science education and markets Indiana’s life sciences industry.
About the Indiana Health Industry Forum (IHIF)
Established in 1994, the Indiana Health Industry Forum (IHIF) is a statewide trade association representing Indiana’s life sciences business community – manufacturers and service providers to the bio/pharma, medical device, and health IT sectors. It is our mission to secure Indiana’s position as a global leader in life sciences by advocating, connecting, promoting, and delivering tangible benefits on behalf of our diverse corporate members. To learn more, please visit us on-line at www.ihif.org.
*BIO/TEConomy define the biosciences sector as Agricultural Feedstock and Chemicals, Drugs and Pharmaceuticals, Medical Devices and Research, Testing and Medical Laboratories and Bioscience-related Distribution
All cities listed are inclusive of their metropolitan statistical areas.
