Pennsylvania's Tom Corbett Named BIO Governor Of The Year

By Ed Miseta, Chief Editor, Clinical Leader

By Ed Miseta, editor, Outsourced Pharma

On April 23, 2013 The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) announced Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett would be honored with its Governor of the Year award. Governor Corbett received the recognition for his leadership and commitment to strengthening the biotechnology and public health sectors within Pennsylvania. Corbett was presented with the award at the 2013 BIO International Convention in Chicago, IL.

“This recognition from the Biotechnology Industry Organization acknowledges the relentless effort my administration is putting forth to strengthen and further build the life sciences industry in Pennsylvania,” said Corbett. “By supporting initiatives that stimulate growth within the industry – from helping entrepreneurs quickly transform ideas into commercial products to supporting the establishment and expansion of biotech companies – we are ensuring the biotech economy will continue to grow and flourish in Pennsylvania. We are proud to continue to serve as a national leader of how to unlock the best of what the life sciences industry has to offer.”
 

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett (left) with Ed Miseta, editor, Outsourced Pharma.

At a press conference in the Pennsylvania pavilion, Corbett acknowledged that bio is a large and growing sector of the PA economy. “We are blessed to have a very balanced economy in Pennsylvania,” he said. “While many states experience highs and lows when going through a recession, we have had less volatility, and now we are coming back. I have traveled to South America and Europe, trying to bring business back to Pennsylvania, including bio. I sell them a lot of things. We have people with a good work ethic. Through our universities and our medical schools, as well as the 1,300 medical laboratories we have throughout the state, we clearly have the talent to do what the bio industry is looking for. More so than most states, if not all other states.”

Corbett also noted that Pennsylvania’s location makes it attractive to bio firms, being located between the financial markets in New York and the regulatory market in Washington D.C. The state has a quality of life that Corbett believes is not found in other areas. “When you match that quality of life with the location and the workforce, we are unmatched.”

Corbett concluded his remarks by addressing the cost of doing business in Pennsylvania. He believes business costs are lower in Pennsylvania than in many other areas, and with the state’s energy resources, the cost of doing business will continue to go down. “We are in the right position at the right time,” he says. “We created a Life Science Leadership Advisory Council, which presented us with 10 points to follow, and we are now implementing them. The council will continue to be very helpful to us in creating an environment in Pennsylvania that will attract bio to the state.”