For decades, Arizona universities have been at the cutting edge of research breakthroughs that have led to better lives and economic growth for our state. These include anything from agriculture, water conservation, and exploring our future in space to reaching back into anthropology – and other essential sciences – that help us better understand our past.
Arizona now has the fastest-growing bioscience sector in the country. Over the last five years, we have increased NIH funding by 39% – the nation’s largest such investment. We have achieved record job growth in this sector. And we are pioneering a vast array of health and medicinal breakthroughs.
What we’ve accomplished
Over the past decade, we’ve filed thousands of patents, launched hundreds of startups, and brought transformative technologies to market.
Some of our incredible progress includes:
– The University of Arizona’s billion-dollar research enterprise, which has been instrumental in developing new ways to detect and diagnose neurological conditions like autism, depression, stroke, and Alzheimer’s, as well as treatments for cardiovascular diseases like heart failure and hypertension. And the soon-to-open Center for Advanced Molecular and Immunological Therapies (on the Phoenix campus) seeks to unravel the complexities of the immunology of cancers, and infectious diseases.
U of A will soon lead a multi-university study to investigate the effectiveness of blood or plasma donations in reducing cancer-causing chemicals in firefighters.
– The University of Arizona has also helped develop and aid sustainable strategies for Arizona farmers. The University meets its land grant mission with work on sustainable farming, protecting Arizona’s water resources, and aiding tribal economic development.
– U of A is the national leader in making ground-breaking discoveries about the origin of the solar system, as well as in cybersecurity and national defense applications.
– Arizona State University has been selected as one of 10 hydrogen hubs that are pioneering the viability of one of the most exciting solutions to carbon emissions. And also as one of a handful of awardees of a CHIPs Act grant to lead the next generation of US Semiconductor Advanced Manufacturing.
– Northern Arizona University’s nationally recognized School of Forestry is leading the Four Forests Restoration Initiative the largest initiative of its kind in the country. And its Pathogen Genomics Program is among the most significant research centers in the world on Anthrax and other pathogens.
What is the result? The economic impact of our universities is equal to any of the largest industries in the state of Arizona. We drive real-world solutions, power economic prosperity, and improve lives.
So, how do we build on this success to ensure we emerge as a national leader in health solutions? That is the question posed this week at a state-wide conference of university and industry researchers.
Arizona has all the building blocks for continued success. Remarkably, we are the only state in the nation where every one of our public universities is an R-1 level research institution. We are one of only seven states with two public universities with over $ 1 billion dollars in research activity.
Additionally, we have built the Phoenix Biomedical Core – our 30-acre life sciences innovation district – in downtown Phoenix, which will soon host two medical schools. And due to Tech Launch Arizona (with national successes like SinfoniaRx), Downtown Tucson will soon become a go-to hub of start-ups.
How to get there
- We must start with a clear focus: we are public institutions and we must ensure that our research, innovation, and technology development efforts deliver meaningful impact for our state. That is a top priority of the Board of Regents.
- We should consider new policies, including tax incentives, liability protections, and innovative funding models that will attract more venture capital to Arizona.
- We should monitor metrics like patent filings and licensing revenue, industry partnerships and collaborations, and research ROI.
- And we need better strategic coordination between the public and private sectors.
So, what does success look like in 10 years?
- A doubling of venture capital investment in Arizona’s life sciences ecosystem.
- A doubling of university-born startups per year.
- Creating 10,000 new high-quality jobs in the life sciences sector.
- Achieving a Top 5 national ranking for bioscience research and development.
Our success should be something to celebrate, something worth state pride, and something worth supporting.
There is currently much in the news about the value of university research and the public sector’s role in sponsoring that research.
It was academic research that led to the cure for childhood polio and heart transplants and better nutrition and biological sustainability. It was university researchers in Silicon Valley that led to the tech revolution and the fastest wage and economic growth in our nation’s history. We are now at the tipping point in bioscience.
Note that at the exact same time there is pressure on us to retreat, China has announced an exciting new breakthrough in cancer. This is great news for the world but not great news for our competitive position.
We need university research now more than ever.
