The RI BioHub was commissioned by Governor Raimondo’s Office and RI Commerce in late 2016, initially to recruit Life Sciences businesses from neighboring Massachusetts. Over the next two years, the group evolved to include leaders in the Life Sciences community and aligned with RI Bio. RI BioHub worked together in partnership with Dr. Susan Windham-Bannister, former founding President & CEO of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, to understand the necessary foundation required for a true Innovation Ecosystem. The group performed a deep inventory of existing ecosystem enablers and identified both key strengths and gaps in the Rhode Island Innovation Ecosystem. As a result of this inventory process, key recommendations are now in place to focus RI Life Sciences priorities to grow, attract and retain companies, and to deliver economic prosperity to Rhode Island.
Read the complete RI BioHub Report here
Why Life Sciences? Why Now?
The RI BioHub report, “Leveraging the Revolution in Life Sciences: Growing the RI Innovation Ecosystem” highlights the momentum and visibility nationwide as well as Rhode Island’s more than $300M investment and progress connected to:
- RI Innovation Campus Bond awards
- Wexford Science and Technology Innovation Complex
- URI Center for Biotechnology and Life Sciences
- URI College of Pharmacy
- URI Beaupre Center for Chemistry
- URI College of Engineering
- Rhode Island Science & Technology Advisory Council
What is a Life Sciences Ecosystem? Why is it so Important and so Critical?
Our goal is to transform RI’s Life Sciences industry cluster (a collection of universities, medical centers, companies, investors, service providers, etc.) into an innovation ecosystem where all members of the cluster work well individually and together.
What is the Cycle for Life Sciences Innovation and for Growing Innovation Capacity?
We believe that by continuing investment in building innovation capacity, we promote the goals of innovation acceleration, strengthen the “platform” that supports innovation and that all stakeholders across the life Sciences Innovation Ecosystem within RI and the region will benefit.
What are the Key Enablers of Innovation Capacity?
The framework for the BioHub recommendations revolves around strengthening the five key enablers that drive innovation capacity for the entire RI Life Sciences Innovation Ecosystem.
Focus of Key Recommendations Supporting Innovation Enablers
This is the time for our community to come together and embrace a future we all envision to achieve economic growth in the Life Sciences for the citizens in Rhode Island.
Read the complete report here: RI BioHub Full Report