Industry leaders hope new bio board has cash behind it
BYLINE: Sue Schultz
While state leaders create a new committee to help Maryland promote and grow its bioscience industry, some warn without state funds backing future recommendations, growth could be stunted.
Gov. Martin O'Malley is expected to sign a bill within the next two months to create the Maryland Life Sciences Advisory Board, a 15-member committee that includes state and federal agencies associated with biosciences, biotech companies and business leaders, and university officials. The state legislature approved of the board's creation March 26.
Members of the biotech industry this week offered positive support of the newly created group.
"For the first time, there will be a central, senior group to provide advice to the state," said Paul Silber, president of Celsis-In Vitro Technologies, a biotech company based out of UMBC Tech Center. "In the past, the industry spoke with a fragmented voice."
O'Malley first floated the idea of a state biotech investment strategy plan including the creation of the new group during his campaign for office in 2006.
The group is expected to design a comprehensive strategy for Maryland to promote, attract and grow the bioscience industry, said Rick Abbruzzese, spokesman for O'Malley's office. The state has one of the fastest growing biotech clusters in the nation with 380 bioscience companies.
The new group also could work with federal bioscience facilities, act as a connector between the Baltimore and Washington, D.C., bioscience efforts and provide ethical guidance on life science issues such as stem cell research, Abbruzzese said.
The board will include:
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David Edgerley, the Secretary of Business and Economic Development; -
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a representative from the Maryland Technology Development Corp.; -
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three representatives from federal agencies with life science missions; -
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five representatives from the biotechnology businesses in Maryland, four representatives from institutions of higher education; and, -
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a member of the general public.
O'Malley could appoint the 13 representatives over the next few months, and the board's first report to state leaders could be given by December.
Among the top priorities for the group should be generating greater access to grant money and investment dollars for the life sciences industry, said Silber.
"As a state, Maryland doesn't always invest as much as other states do," Silber said about state money available for investment in the private sector industry like biosciences.
He said he would like to see the state set aside more grant money for these companies and support legislation such as a tax credit granted last year to individuals and companies for investments in the bioscience industry.
But some were more skeptical about the work of the new committee.
Although, this is the first group created by the state legislature, the bioscience industry has twice before joined together within the community to offer its recommendations to state leaders, said Judy Britz, CEO of Cylex, a Columbia-based biotech company.
"There are excellent recommendations already proposed," said Britz. "The committee needs to take a close look at those to see why things didn't happen and how they can make a difference."