ANN ARBOR — MichBio, the association for Michigan’s biosciences industry, has launched a statewide effort called the Michigan Bio-Industry Roadmap 2015.
The effort aims to create a five-year strategic plan for growing Michigan’s biosciences industry. It is being conducted in partnership with Business Leaders for Michigan. the statewide organization for corporate CEOs that was the successor to Detroit Renaissance, and the University Research Corridor, the combined research organization of Michigan State University, the University of Michigan and Wayne State University.
“Michigan’s bio-industry is at a critical point given the rapidly changing dynamics in the healthcare delivery marketplace, regulatory landscape, and global economy,” said MichBio president and CEO Stephen Rapundalo. “For the state’s bioscience research, development, and manufacturing enterprise to have future success, a shared and executable vision with performance measures is required.”
A number of bio-industry plans, assessments, and reports have been developed over the last 10 to 15 years at the local, regional, and state levels, but the last substantive statewide strategic plan dates back to 2004.
The Michigan Bio-Industry Roadmap 2015 is intended to be an operational “game plan” to enable growth over the next three to five years. The planning effort will identify key strategies with defined goals, expectations, actions, and metrics. And it will focus on functional areas such as innovation, industry growth, business climate, capital access, and education and talent development. In addition, the roadmap will assess needs and opportunities across several bio-industry sectors and market areas where Michigan has a recognized strength or potential for growth.
“Growing Michigan’s strengths in the area of life sciences is key to growing a new Michigan economy,” said Business Leaders for Michigan CEO Doug Rothwell. “As the demand for life sciences solutions grow, Michigan will benefit from leveraging its bio-industry to its fullest potential. Developing such an industry pillar for Michigan’s economy will make us more competitive globally and increase opportunities for job growth.”
The effort is being overseen by an executive steering committee comprised of bio-industry experts from around Michigan:
* Linda Chamberlain, Ph.D., Venture Fellow, Michigan Accelerator Fund 1, Grand Rapids
* Rob DeWit, Ph.D., Director, Southwest Michigan Innovation Center, Kalamazoo
* Michael Hagen, Chair, Ash Stevens, Detroit
* Dean Knuth, Director, Jasper Clinic/MPI Research, Kalamazoo
* Jeffrey Mason, Director, University Research Corridor, East Lansing
* Ken Massey, Venture Director, Wayne State University Office of Technology Commercialization, Detroit
* Fred Molnar, Michigan Life Sciences Innovation Center, Plymouth
* Karen Studer-Rabeler, Technology Consultant, Michigan Small Business Development Center, Grass Lake
“It is important to note that the biosciences industry is one of a number of sectors where Michigan has truly world-class institutions that deliver discoveries and serve as the substrate for commercialization,” Mason said. “A roadmap that integrates stakeholders from across the state is critical to develop a R&D ecosystem that can compete globally.”
Data Consulting Group in Detroit was chosen to support the initiative. Michael Kruczek, Life Sciences Practice Leader at DCG will serve as the project manager.
The effort will reach out to bio-industry stakeholders through interviews, focus groups, and surveys. Data gathered will validate key strategies, identify unmet needs and growth opportunities, and help develop policy proposals for legislative action. New and existing MichBio workgroups will support the steering committee in developing the roadmap. The final report will include performance measures and responsible parties for delivering outcomes. Annual assessments on progress and impact are planned.
Anyone interested in being part of the Michigan Bio-Industry Roadmap 2015 effort should contact Rapundalo at srapundalo@michbio.org.
More at www.michbio.org, www.businessleadersformichigan.com, www.urcmich.org or www.dcgroupinc.com.