Economic development, industry leaders form coalition to drive bioscience growth in region

GSI has partnered with life sciences incubator Spin Out Space in Spokane, known as sp3nw, to launch Evergreen Bioscience Innovation, an organization whose leadership includes entrepreneurs, investors, academia and members from the government and corporate sectors.

Evergreen Bioscience aims to make the region a leader in local supply-chain sourcing for pharmaceutical and medical device contract companies by prioritizing projects that address life science industry needs and acquiring, developing and retaining top talent.

“We are targeting growth of organizations that supply pharmaceutical and medical devices. We want to grow those organizations (in Spokane) and regionally,” said Stacia Rasmussen, GSI’s health and life sciences business development manager.

By developing a local supply chain for pharmaceutical and health care companies, it keeps their dollars within the local economy rather than sourcing products elsewhere, Rasmussen said.

The Washington State Department of Commerce recently awarded a $500,000 grant to Evergreen Bioscience to build a “cluster” in the Spokane region. The bioscience cluster is an industry-led consortium that works together to drive innovation, pursue market opportunities, and identify and solve challenges that limit growth.

Reported by Amy Edelen of The Spokesman-Review. Read the full article here.