Did you know that Arizona was the pioneer in establishing a dedicated statewide bioscience week. Arizona was unique in establishing its week early on, while most other states historically relied on single-day summits or standalone conferences. The structured, multi-day format has gained major traction over the last decade in other states or regions.
The Arizona Bioindustry Association (AZBio) hosted the inaugural Arizona Bioscience Week (AZBW) in September 2016 as the state’s first-ever statewide weeklong celebration to highlight the local and national impact of the state’s life science and medical technology industries.
Proclaimed by the State of Arizona and signed by Arizona Governor Doug Ducey as well as the Arizona Senate and signed by Arizona Senate President Andy Biggs, the inaugural Arizona Bioscience Week took place from September 18–24, 2016 and included 5 days of educational forums, investor events, and celebrations that put Arizona’s life science sector in the spotlight. (Watch AZBio’s CEO tell the story of how Arizona Bioscience Week was created in 2016.)
AzBusiness Magazine, AZBio’s official media partner for Arizona Bioscience Week, publishes as 56-page special section highlighting the sector each year. The AZBio Special Supplement in the September/October issue of AzBusiness Magazine reaches over 25,000 readers in print and over 122,000 readers online. This publication has previewed AZBW annually since 2016, putting our Arizona life science industry’ in the spotlight. Click here to view the 2025-2026 AZBio Special Supplement online.
Arizona Bioscience Week was designed by AZBio to raise public awareness and connect local innovators with regional and national investors. Since the first AZBW in 2016, Arizona’s bioscience sector has evolved from an emerging regional market into a multi-billion-dollar national powerhouse. Driven by long-term strategic tracking via Arizona’s Bioscience Roadmap, the industry has consistently outpaced national averages in job creation, funding, and economic footprint.
- Arizona’s life sector generated $43.64 billion in economic impact in 2023, marking a massive 88% increase since 2016.
- The state’s core bioscience market expanded at a 9.5% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) from 2016-2023.
- Arizona has ranked as the second-fastest job creator for biosciences in the United States over to 10-year period on a percentage basis.
- The average non-hospital bioindustry salary has reached $102,161, tracking 53% higher than Arizona’s overall private-sector average.
- Companies presenting at the White Hat Life Science Investor Conference went on to raise over $3 billion in investment.
- Educational conferences, workshops and webinars have provided industry insights to thousands of Arizonans and visitors.
Arizona Bioscience Week 2026 will take place October 5 – 8, 2026.
Monday’s Leading Women event features an evening of conversation and connections with our community’s leading women as we kick off Arizona Bioscience Week in style in the heart of the Phoenix Bioscience Core.
MONDAY, OCTOBER 5 to WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7: Cell & Gene Meeting on the Mesa
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2026: Discovering and Developing New Medicines in Arizona
The 7th Annual Drug Discovery and Development Summit, curated by the Arizona Center for Drug Discovery, will highlight translational research from bench to bedside and from creation to clinic, showcasing the discovery of effective drug candidates for cancer and the advancement of these innovative therapies into clinical trials. A key focus of the summit will be on fostering new partnerships and collaborations to accelerate the discovery, development, and commercialization of Arizona-based innovations.
Celebrate with the Educators, Researchers, and Organizations that are making life better for people in Arizona and around the world. Join us at the Phoenix Convention Center as we honor the 2026 AZBio Award Winners.
White Hat Investors 2026, a biotech and healthcare investor conference, showcases exciting biotech and med tech companies from across the Rocky Mountain & Southwest Region on October 8, 2026 during Arizona Bioscience Week.
Patients are the reason we do what we do! Join us to hear stories of health innovation from the patient perspective in the historic Virginia G. Piper Auditorium.
AZBW In the Classroom
Each day of Arizona Bioscience Week, the Exploring Pathways to Bioscience & Health Careers program, presented by the Office of the Maricopa County School Superintendent’s Office, will premier a new video and lesson plan for use in classrooms across the state. These Industry Spotlight Videos showcase professional and academic skills in the Bioscience & Healthcare Industries Career Sectors and build bioscience & career awareness.