Riley, biotech leaders tout state's readiness
Officials promote Alabama as 'key player' industry

Tuesday, April 11, 2006

By BRIAN LAWSON
Times Business Writer brianl@htimes.com

Alabama Gov. Bob Riley is leading a delegation of Alabama companies, university researchers and economic development specialists in Chicago this week during the biotechnology industry's largest annual gathering.

"Bio 2006" opened today and Riley said the Alabama contingent - anchored by Huntsville biotech pioneer Jim Hudson and representatives from the University of Alabama at Birmingham - have been in a series of meetings and presentations designed to attract industry and investors.

"This is the epicenter of biotech and Alabama has a strong presence here," Riley said. "Jim made a presentation to a group of investors at lunch today. We're just trying to give people an idea that Alabama is now one of the key, main players in biotech."

The state of Alabama has committed $50 million to Hudson's project, the Hudson-Alpha Institute for Biotechnology in Huntsville, which will feature a 260,000-square-foot main building in Cummings Research Park. The institute held a groundbreaking in January.

The center has $80 million in private investments and is scheduled to open in mid-2007. Hudson's plan is to combine top scientists doing nonprofit research and then linking their findings with companies that can develop commercial applications.

Riley said there were a number of other governors attending the event - 13 governors are expected to make appearances this week, and he had a chance to see how Alabama stacks up in its recruiting efforts.

"We've always recruited like this for the auto industry, for manufacturers ... but we've never really done it in biotechnology," Riley said. "With the investment we've made and the kind of companies we want to attract, we need to be as aggressive at attracting pharmaceutical companies and biotechnology companies as we've been in attracting manufacturers."

Riley has pushed for the state to invest in biotechnology since before he became governor. He said with the medical research work at UAB, the establishment of a cancer research center in Mobile, the presence of the Hudson-Alpha Institute, state recruiters are able to make the case this week that Alabama is serious about biotechnology.

"I'm more excited today than I ever have been," Riley said. "This is a foundation we can build on."