by Jim Pomager - MED Device Online
Minnesota. California. Massachusetts.
Ask someone to list the top U.S. states for medtech activity, and these are the names you will usually hear (in some order). And for good reason - many of the biggest and most-recognizable companies in the industry are based in these three states, and much of the world's medical device and diagnostics technology originates from them.
But another state has quietly positioned itself to join the ranks of the medtech elite. It is home to 600+ firms in the medical device and diagnostics sector (per Pennsylvania BIO), including the U.S. headquarters of giants Siemens Healthcare, B. Braun, Synthes, and Olympus. It employs more than 22,000 people in medtech jobs - more than any state outside the "big three" (and only 1,700 fewer than mighty Massachusetts) - according to data published by AdvaMed. Over $13 billion of the state's economy is attributable to the medical technology industry.
Which state is it? I'll give you two final hints: 1) Along with Massachusetts, it is one of only four U.S. states that designate themselves as "commonwealths", and 2) I'm sitting in the state as I type this.
That's right - it's Pennsylvania, the next big thing in U.S. medtech.
I can understand if you're skeptical. I was too, at least until I spent three straight days running around the state last month, visiting and talking with numerous medtech companies during a whirlwind media tour of the Pennsylvania life sciences industry...
...In many parts of the state, industry is collaborating with local academia to begin preparing students for life science careers as early as middle and high school. One creative example is in Central Pennsylvania, where the Bedford County Technical Center, a shared time career and technical school, has formed a partnership with Lampire Biological Laboratories (Ottsville), a company specializing in polyclonal and monoclonal antibody development, cell culture devices and services, and blood-derived products. Lampire helped build and equip laboratories at the school, and consulted on biotechnology curriculum to better prepare students for careers at Lampire and other regional life science organizations...
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