Biotech

Biotech

OKC wins $35-million Build Back Better grant to bolster emerging biotech hubNew interactive feature: The Greater OKC BioTech Story

KEY STATS ABOUT biotech IN OKC:

• Support 31,000 workers with a 10% employment growth since 2015. 
• 563 established businesses with $84k average wages.
• $316M in annual bioscience-related university/biomedical institution R&D expenditures. 
• Entities in the region partnered to help win a Build Back Better grant for the biotech hub. The $35-million grant will help launch six core biotech projects in Oklahoma City. 
• The Oklahoma City Innovation District is a thriving, 1.3 square mile ecosystem of collaboration, innovation and economic growth located in historic, Northeast Oklahoma City, surrounded by internationally acclaimed organizations spanning Oklahoma’s diverse sectors – healthcare, bioscience, aerospace & unmanned systems, specialized manufacturing, academia, technology and energy. 
• In 2019, the citizens of Oklahoma City approved a $71 million investment in the burgeoning Innovation District. This investment includes funds to encourage further development for minority-owned small businesses, better connectivity in and around the district and the construction of an “Innovation Hall” to serve as a central place where activities to grow our city’s innovation economy can be facilitated. 

What's NEw in OKC biotech:

• Innovation Hall marks first year as hub for connection and collaborationRead more>>
• Catalyst event highlights AI's role in healthcare innovation. Read more>>
• Oklahoma's biotech sector takes the spotlight during the commission roadshow. Read more>>
• Microsoft leader to headline Life Science Oklahoma's Catalyst event. Read more>>
• OU Health surgeon shines light on lung cancer with novel imaging agent. Read more>>

How can we help you?

The Greater Oklahoma City Partnership assists bioscience companies who are expanding their operations and considering the region for a new investment. Our business development and research teams can help you with data collection, site selection, incentive requirements and other areas of need for your evaluation process. For questions or assistance, please contact: 

Dennis Pruitt
Senior Vice President of Economic Development
405-297-8991
dpruitt@okcchamber.com

Ground-breaking discoveries made by Oklahoma City-based researchers have helped put Oklahoma City on the map as a contender in the bioscience and technology marketplace. Undeniably, one of the most significant factors in this area's biotech boom is the powerful symbiotic relationship between entrepreneurs, clinical researchers, academic investigators, and public and private investors.

In recent years, significant medical advances and life-saving medicines have been developed in labs and facilities based in Oklahoma City.

Most recently, a diverse group of community partners worked together to help win a $35-million grant through the Build Back Better regional challenge to boost the region's emerging biotech sector. 

The grant will fund six core investment projects:

• OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center for Therapeutic – Translational Research Labs: development of 10 translational research labs dedicated to drug discovery within the OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center.
• Oklahoma Biotech Startup Program – supportive programming to build a vibrant regional biotech startup pipeline led by the University of Oklahoma.
• The University of Oklahoma Biotech Core Facility – a new facility with state-of-the-art high-throughput, advanced bioprocessing equipment and services for instructors and researchers at OU, local nonprofit organizations like OMRF, and private companies like Wheeler Bio.
• OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center Early Phase Clinical Trial Network – an initiative to double the size of the existing clinical trial program at OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center, commensurate with the demand for Phase I trials created through accompanying translational science investments and industry growth.
• BioTC– a new program housed in the Oklahoma City Innovation District to meet the growing demand for skilled labor in the OBIC, which will enable the formation of inclusive, non-degreed career pathways into high-wage jobs.
• Life Science Oklahoma – an initiative to lead regular convenings of industry leadership, conduct needs assessments, encourage regional connectivity and spur policy advocacy.

Center for Innovation

Oklahoma City's emerging Innovation District currently encompasses about 1.3 square miles east of downtown and includes the Oklahoma Health Center and Automobile Alley. This area was the subject of an 18-month study conducted by The Brookings Institution and Project for Public Spaces. 

As part of the historic MAPS 4 packages, the citizens approved $71 million in funds for the Innovation District. These funds will be used to construct the Henrietta B. Foster Center for Northeast Small Business Development and Entrepreneurship ($15 million), connectivity in and around the Innovation District ($25 million), innovation hall ($10 million), operating fund ($21 million).

This thriving area surrounding the Oklahoma Health Center is ripe for new development and has demonstrated success in incubating startup businesses. University Research Park, a 23-acre, $100 million site, is currently home to 38 science-based companies including Moleculera Labs, ARL BioPharma, Cytovance Biologics, Accele Biopharma, and other industry leaders. The city’s bioscience sector that has clustered in that area offers a strong anchor point for future development.

Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation

More than 300 researchers at Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation (OMRF) make ground-breaking discoveries as they explore the mysteries of human diseases including Alzheimers, brain diseases, cancers, diabetes and lupus. OMRF is recognized as one of the most respected independent medical research institutes nationwide.

University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
In addition to OMRF, Greater Oklahoma City is home to The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center (OUHSC). OUHSC, comprised of seven medical schools, is the primary place of instruction for many of Oklahoma's health professions. It is one of only four health centers in the United States with seven professional colleges. The 30 institutions on its campus employ more than 15,000 people with a combined general revenue of more than $3.5 billion per year, and NIH funding of more than $53 million. The research park also includes the Presbyterian Health Foundation, which supports a variety of health-related activities, including recruitment of research scientists and provision of research and equipment grants.

Oklahoma State University's One Health Innovation Lab
Oklahoma State University embraces a holistic perspective, recognizing the interconnectedness of human, animal and environmental health. Drawing on diverse strengths across colleges and disciplines, OSU seeks to lead in addressing health challenges through a unified and collaborative strategy- the One Health initiative. At its core, the One Health initiative at The Innovation Foundation heralds a new era of interdisciplinary collaboration in health care. Through cutting-edge genomic research and meticulous preservation of biological samples, they strive to unlock the secrets of life’s diversity, driving innovations in health care, conserving biodiversity and fostering a sustainable future for all.

OSU Discovery

OSU DISCOVERY is a collaborative research, innovation, extension, and STEM hub for Oklahoma State University’s College of Engineering, Architecture, and Technology in the Innovation District. OSU DISCOVERY is the result of an exciting tech collaboration with Baker Hughes, an energy technology company. The facility is the centerpiece of this arrangement and will grant students from OSU’s College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology (CEAT) hands-on access to world-class labs, technology and industry expertise.

Life Science Oklahoma
With a world-class caliber of research facilities and wet lab space, abundant funding opportunities and collaborative efforts by legislators to enhance progress, you could say Greater Oklahoma City has biotechnology down to a science. Life Science Oklahoma works to promote the growth of biosciences in Oklahoma through partnership building, education and outreach, networking, policy development and publicity.