The world’s largest gathering of the biotechnology industry is taking place this week in Chicago. It is called the Bio International Convention, Bio for short, with the tag line “The Global Event for Biotechnology.” The event features nearly 2,000 exhibitors, more than 60 domestic and international pavilions, and attendance approaching 15,000. If you are anyone in the biosciences, you are there.
The Memphis Bioworks Foundation is proud to be a part of the Tennessee Pavilion at Bio. We have many different messages to communicate to those who come by to see all that is happening in our state. From the welcoming and active venture capital and investor environment for entrepreneurs; to the power and importance of a world class distribution and logistics community to bioscience businesses; to the leadership role we are taking in the field of biomass and the renewable bioeconomy; to the available shovel-ready bioscience infrastructure at locations like the UT Baptist Research Park. While all of those messages are viable and critical, perhaps the most important message we can deliver at a gathering the size of Bio is that today, and for the future, Memphis is The Orthopedic Center for the United States.
To be the Orthopedic Center requires a wide variety of integrated community attributes. Weakness in any one area threatens the ability of every other area to reach full potential. More than any other field in the biosciences, orthopedics requires a full array of services, sciences, capabilities and support. I believe Memphis is the only community that features the critical 11 attributes necessary to be The Orthopedic Center for the United States.
As I look around our community, this is what I see:
Industry Leadership – leadership in the production, introduction, discovery, marketing and services of orthopedic devices and related products.
Clinical Leadership – leadership in the clinical practice across the major disciplines of orthopedics.
Research Leadership – leadership in research and discovery that brings new ideas to market at both the academic and the entrepreneurial levels.
Infrastructure Leadership – leadership in investment, development and support of the critical physical infrastructure required to enable all aspects of the business.
Core Laboratories – shared laboratory resources that support the education, discovery and clinical needs across all aspects of testing, imaging and other biosciences.
Training and Education Leadership – leadership in all levels of training and education to create a deep talent pool that supports medical professional, sales and technical teams, and all levels of clinical, research, laboratory, treatment and industrial needs.
Venture Capital Leadership – leadership in making available local capital and the expertise to analyze and evaluate the potential of new ideas, companies and management teams.
Distribution and Logistics Leadership – leadership in distribution and logistics that supports and enables ongoing or immediate access to domestic and international markets.
Networking Leadership – leadership in providing the opportunities for professionals to network and share ideas as a catalyst for new business and career development, as well as funding.
Community Involvement – leadership at all levels of the community, including political and government, overall business and economic development, foundation and philanthropic, that sees the greater good beyond the immediately tangible.
Thought Leaders – recognized industry leaders who make themselves available to provide advice, counsel and guidance through their board and community leadership, and direct involvement.
Bio is a perfect place for Memphis and Tennessee to highlight our leadership positions in the bioscience industry. When the eight U.S. governors and more than 80 high-ranking international public officials, and attendees from 48 states and 60 countries leave Bio, it is important that they know Memphis and Tennessee are poised to grow and prosper in the recovering economy, and that enabling, encouraging and supporting the business and discovery of bioscience is critical to that growth.
