Mary Ann Dostaler
Connecticut Business Magazine
September 2001 Feature

DECD Launches Latest Effort to Promote
BioScience in Connecticut

The State of Connecticut by way of the Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) is pulling out all the stops to ensure the continued long-term growth of the BioScience Cluster. Passed as part of the 2001-2002 fiscal budget, the newly created Office of BioScience is a now permanent part of DECD. In addition, a senior level advisory post, dubbed the BioScience Ambassador, also has been established.

The combined purpose of these new functions is to promote and further develop the BioScience industry in Connecticut, the fastest growing segment within the state’s overall economy.

The creation of this new office and advisory post marks another milestone in Connecticut’s journey to becoming an international leader in BioScience. Like many of the advancements in the Cluster development, this was the result of collaboration between DECD, CURE, the organizational center of the BioScience Cluster, and input from industry members representing each segment of the Cluster – the pharmaceutical research organizations, biotechnology companies and academic research institutions.

The State of Connecticut by way of the Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) is pulling out all the stops to ensure the continued long-term growth of the BioScience Cluster. Passed as part of the 2001-2002 fiscal budget, the newly created Office of BioScience is a now permanent part of DECD. In addition, a senior level advisory post, dubbed the BioScience Ambassador, also has been established.

"The concept of the Office of BioScience and the BioScience Ambassador advisory position is unlike any other structure within any other state," said Debra Pasquale, president of CURE. "Working together with DECD, we saw this an opportunity create an optimal configuration to make the state as bio-friendly as possible."

The second objective is to foster proactive recruiting in identifying and selectively targeting companies to locate or expand in the state. This includes developing marketing and promotional programs to lure emerging BioScience companies and suppliers to Connecticut.

Having an office dedicated to BioScience is essential to the long-term growth of the sector, according to Jim Abromaitis, commissioner of DECD. "The BioScience Cluster is a growth industry that needs a certain amount special attention. The industry needs a designated recruitment officer who can help companies through the maze of bureaucracy in the state in terms of permitting and working with the other agencies. Additionally, we need to have a person on staff who is intimately involved and knowledgeable about the industry."

This is where the collaborative relationship with CURE makes the Office of BioScience truly unique. Gary Wilson, CURE’s managing director of scientific programs, will dedicate 40 percent of his time to working with the Office of BioScience, sharing his scientific expertise and unifying the Office’s efforts with those of the BioScience Cluster.

Formerly a senior level pharmaceutical executive with the North American Pharmaceutical Division of Bayer Corporation, Wilson’s primary role will be to serve as an interface between CURE’s industry members and the State. "With this collaborative effort, we’re in a unique position to strengthen the relationships between the various components of the Cluster and the State in a way that we’ve not been able to achieve before," said Wilson. "My role will be to communicate the scientific requirements of what companies are doing and translate their needs into specific recommendations, such as workforce development."

In many ways, according to Wilson, only the State can thoroughly identify the finance and incentive programs, and the regulatory structure appropriate for each company looking to set up shop in Connecticut. But first, they need to understand what each company is trying to achieve from a scientific point of view. According to Commissioner Abromaitis, an individual from within the DECD will be selected to head the Office of BioScience, which is expected to be up and running by the end of the summer.

"To fill the role of BioScience Ambassador, we wanted someone who has the ability and experience to sit across the table from the CEO of a biotech company and understand that person’s business and speak the same language," said Commissioner Abromaitis. "It’s essential to have that level of credibility. Harry recognizes what it takes to run a biotechnology company and can establish strong relationships with other CEOs for this very reason."

Penner will serve as an advisor to Commissioner Abromaitis as well as the Governor and his cabinet. Additionally, he will participate in select high-level recruitment meetings, visits and missions.

"We’ve come a long way over a fairly short period of time and that gives us reason to be optimistic about building on the momentum to achieve further growth of the BioScience Cluster," said Penner. "Our goal is to encourage the companies that are here to grow and succeed in Connecticut, and also to attract companies from outside the state to locate here. That’s harder obviously, but the positive experiences that the companies that are already here have enjoyed are strong endorsements for why other companies belong in Connecticut."

"Most biotechnology startups want to locate near to the science from which they were born, so the number of companies we can realistically target are limited," said Penner. "Instead, we’re looking to a different kind of startup – one that is based on an emerging trend called aggregated technologies, where companies combine related scientific discoveries or patents from two different places." This is precisely the approach Bill Rice took in launching Achillion. As a lead scientist at the National Cancer Institute, Rice had the technology basis for his company but needed to find appropriate drug candidates for testing. In 1998, he found what was looking for at Yale.

To start his company, Rice initially decided on Princeton, N.J., and even went so far as to have facilities built out. However, after visiting Connecticut he reconsidered his decision and began looking into lab space in New Haven. At that time, there were a lot of business challenges to starting a BioScience company in Connecticut. "The real estate options were very poor," Rice recalled. "Science Park was available, but it wasn’t where it is today. Identifying realtors, identifying space, getting contractors on board, securing funding to get into the space, securing the proper permitting and approvals all presented a real challenge. Nothing was centralized. When we came here, he had to face of all these issues and we essentially had to do it on our own."

Nonetheless, Connecticut had enough to offer to make it worthwhile for Achillion to stay, including proximity to Yale, a high quality of life, an educated workforce, and easy access to the financial centers in New York and Boston. "What’s more, I looked around and saw Bayer, Boehriger Engleheim, Bristol-Myers and Pfizer and a series of other successful biotechnology companies in the area. This clustering of like-minded businesses provides a safety net for all of us," said Rice. With the Office of BioScience, DECD and CURE hope to minimize the challenges that Rice faced in forming Achillion and make the process easier for other entrepreneurs.
 

Ever vigilant to deal with the next set of issues, CURE is refocusing its attention on its policy agenda. "Our job at CURE is to be ahead of the curve," said Pasquale. When it began nearly 12 years ago, CURE was formed as an educational and informational resource. Their first order of business was to articulate policy statements regarding animals and medical research and the use of low-level radioactive materials, according to Pasquale. Then in 1998, economic development became the center of attention.

"In many ways, that consumed us almost entirely for about three years. With the State stepping up to the plate in a far more proactive and aggressive way to be an economic development partner, we can return to our primary role of developing policy statements on important developing issues," said Pasquale. "Issues such as stem cell research, access to medicine and affordability, and agriculture and biotechnology are coming into the public consciousness and need to be addressed to ensure the future growth of the BioScience Cluster."

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