Opportunities in Colorado are exceptional for bioscience pioneers whether they are individuals or companies. While many states are newcomers to the biotech industry, Colorado has participated in bioscience innovation for over 20 years.

The Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade assists the bioscience industry in many ways. Our business development representatives provide information to businesses on financial programs, supply sources, business planning assistance, trade opportunities, strategic partners and venture partners. In addition to technical assistance, business development representatives actively market Colorado and provide information on markets, technologies, building and sites, transportation and other Colorado advantages.

Industry Overview

Colorado's bioscience industry encompasses biotechnology, medical devices, pharmaceuticals and agricultural biotechnology. Colorado companies are engaged in research, development and/or production in all of these areas. Colorado's world-class university and private-sector research facilities, an educated and highly skilled labor force, a critical mass of existing firmsand a strong statewide commitment to the industry provide an environment that is especially conducive to continued growth and excellence in bioscience.

Colorado's bioscience industry is poised to become one of the most exciting and advanced industry clusters in the country. The industry is thriving, comprised of biotechnology, medical device and pharmaceutical companies, health care providers, research institutions and those businesses that provide critical services and products to bioscience companies.

The spectrum of efforts span a collection of many different types of technologies that are employed to create health care applications and animal health applications; improve agricultural production and food supplies; develop industrial and environmental applications; and contribute to homeland defense and national security solutions. Easy access to research universities and a good supply of highly qualified employees facilitate natural partnerships between academia and private enterprise, which is critical for scientific research and technology transfer.

The pipeline of new technologies and new companies coming out of Colorado's research institutions is strong, and the number of Colorado bioscience businesses and their employees are growing faster than the national average. This industry is on the brink of becoming one of the principal engines of Colorado's economy in the 21st century.

Fast Facts

Colorado bioscience companies include:

Major Research institutions include:

• University of Colorado Health Sciences Center
• American Medical Center
• Colorado State University
• National Jewish and Medical Research Center
• Colorado Institute for Research in Biotechnology
• Eleanor Roosevelt Institute
• Laboratories at Bonfils
• Children's Hospital
• A $6 million grant to the University of Colorado Medical Schoolfrom the Charles C. and June S. Gates Family Fund, longtime Colorado philanthropists, will fund the creation of a stem cell research center headed by Dennis Roop, a noted stem cell researcher who will bring with him five National Institutes of Health grants totaling $3.8 million.

Fitzsimons Redevelopment

Accelerating Colorado's biotechnology position is the $4.3 billion redevelopment of the former Fitzsimons Army Medical Center into one square mile dedicated to life science research, education and patient care. It is the first of its kind west of the Mississippi, and by far the largest single, integrated redevelopment dedicated to bioscience. The new 217-acre campus of the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center and the 160-acre Colorado Bioscience Park Aurora anchor the project.

The 160-acre bioscience park has been master-planned for up to 4 million square feet and an on-site work force of 16,000. The park can accommodate research-oriented biomedical, biotechnology and pharmaceutical operations in multi-tenant buildings as well as in single-tenant, build-to-suit buildings. The park's affiliation with the University of Colorado allows tenant companies easy access to the resources of the largest academic medical center in the Rocky Mountain Region.

• Since 2000, almost 2.5 million square feet of facilities have been constructed, representing an investment of over $685 million. Among the largest completed projects are a 483,000 square foot University of Colorado Hospital Anschutz Inpatient Pavilion and a 126,875 square foot University Physicians building.
• Projects currently under development and slated to be completed by mid-2008 total 3.2 million square feet and $637 million of investment, including the Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes and the new 1.2 million square foot Children's Hospital scheduled to be completed in October 2007.
• For more information, see www.colobio.com.

Financial Resources

Colorado has ample access to financial resourcesto fund research and development.

• Colorado has five venture firms currently investing primarily or exclusively in bioscience companies: Morgenthaler Ventures, Sequel Venture Partners, Tango, Boulder Ventures, and Aweida Capital Management.
• Colorado offers several public/private sources of business funding including the Certified Capital Companies ( www.state.co.us/oed/finance/capco.cfm), the Colorado Venture Capital Authority ( www.state.co.us/oed/finance/VCA.shtml), and CTEK Angels and Venture Fund ( www.ctek.biz).
• Metro Denver offers an incubator that serves bioscience firms at the Fitzsimons Bioscience Park ( www.colobio.com).
• UCDHSC ranks 20th in total National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding out of 125 academic medical schools and second in pediatric NIH funding. (National Institutes of Health, 2004)

Bioscience Discovery Evaluation Grant Program

 The Bioscience Discovery Evaluation Grant Program  was created by the Colorado legislature in 2006. The program's purpose is to improve and expand the evaluation of new bioscience discoveries at research institutions with the intent of accelerating the development of new products and services- essentially a proof of concept program. The legislature made available $2,000,000 for this Program in 2006. Only Offices of Technology Transfer at research institutions are eligible to apply.