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With a sky-rocketing growth rate in biotechnology that is outpacing other states, Colorado is poised to become a major player in the biotechnology industry. The industry, built on the strong foundation of a superior business climate, well-educated workforce, and diversified economic base, will be further aided by a state-wide strategic plan and economic development efforts to make biotechnology the next economic driver of the state. Presently, Colorado is home to biopharmaceutical, medical device, and health care service companies, and expects to see growth in the areas of medical and veterinary research, manufacture of medical devices and drugs, and "bio-pharma," or the process of growing crops infused with medical enzymes that will yield drugs.
Already located in Colorado is Amgen, one of the world's largest biotech companies, with a research center in Boulder and a production plant in Longmont where they are involved with genomics, cancer research, neuroscience, and small-molecule chemistry. FeRx, a drug development and distribution company, was the first company to open a division at the newly constructed Colorado Bioscience Park Aurora, a 160-acre research park affiliated with the University of Colorado and designed to support Colorado's growing biotechnology industry. Other companies in Colorado include: Invenux, Sirna Therapuetics, SomaLogic, Array Biopharma, Encision, and Atrix Laboratories.
Non-profit institutions and research institutions in Colorado provide a wide range of support to private companies. The University of Colorado and Colorado State University are active research universities with both emphasizing technology transfer and affiliation with private enterprise. The Colorado Technology Alliance (CTA), funded by private donations from industry, provides an economic development tool for Colorado’s technology community by creating a clearinghouse of information and by creating forums for industry and regional groups to affect policy and priorities at the federal, state and local levels.
Importantly, Colorado is dedicated to assuring it's place as a key player in the industry, through developing an environment that supports establishment and growth of diverse biotechnology companies.
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