Beginning in November 2011, AZBio reached out across Arizona and asked our community to rate the importance of key factors related to the growth of our bioscience industry here in Arizona as well as what areas AZBio should focus on in 2012 on a rating scale from 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.
What do AZ Bioscience companies need to thrive? Of fifteen issues, here are your top five areas based on the number of 4’s and 5’s combined.
- State and local policies that promote the attraction and growth of companies in the Arizona Bioscience Industry. (80% rated this a 4 or 5)
- Access to a qualified bioscience talent pool (75% rated this a 4 or 5)
- Improving the quality of our Arizona educational system overall (71% rated this 4 or 5)
- Access to growth capital (63% rated this a 4 or 5)
- State financial support for the continued growth of Arizona’s independent research institutions and universities (61% rated this a 4 or 5)
Where can AZBio make the most impact? Where should we focus our resources?
- Working with Angels, Venture Capital, and Financial Institutions to expand opportunities for Arizona Bioscience Companies to access growth capital. (78% rated this a 4 or 5)
- Advocating for our industry at the state and local level (75% rated this a 4 or 5)
- Spreading the word about the value created by Arizona’s Bioscience Industry (71% rated this a 4 or 5)
- Working with educators to promote interest in bioscience education and for their students, interest and preparation for bioscience careers.
- Advocating for our industry and state in Washington, D.C. (70% rated this a 4 or 5)
Stay Tuned in December for a sneak peek at AZbio’s Plans for 2012.
Peoria will soon play host to bioscience startups, with the lofty long-term goal of becoming a bioscience hub focused on medical devices that would bring high-paying jobs to the city.