Life Sciences Cluster

This cluster includes a number of industry sectors. The primary components of this cluster include health, laboratory, and instrument-related manufacturing, laboratories, and the related wholesalers for these products. This cluster exceeds the average U.S. employment concentration ratio by 30 percent, and is spread throughout the region.

2009 Action Items

Action Initiative	Action Initiative Area	Organization	Target Completion
Enact the 2009 action items laid out in the Comprehensive Bioscience Strategy	Life Sciences	Washington Biotechnology and Biomedical Association	December 2009

What’s New: We Work For Health
We Work For Health is a grassroots initiative that unites health consumers, biopharmaceutical company employees, vendors, suppliers and other business, academic and community partners to demonstrate how these diverse groups are vital to the socioeconomic climate and provide shared benefits and a better quality of life to all. Specifically, the partnership includes local chambers of commerce, universities and research centers, labor, businesses, patient advocacy organizations, provider groups and biopharmaceutical research companies that work together to improve America’s health care system and strengthen our economy. The co-chairs of the Washington state effort are Bob Drewel (Puget Sound Regional Council), Dr. Elson Floyd (Washington State University), Chris Rivera (Washington Biotechnology and Biomedical Association), Rogers Weed (Washington State Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development), Dr. Lee Huntsman (Life Sciences Discovery Fund). More information can be found at www.weworkforhealth.org/state/washington.

Cluster Strategy Development Background
In 2005, to target its work in supporting the life sciences cluster, the Prosperity Partnership formed a Life Sciences Cluster Strategy Development Working Group tasked with identifying specific action initiatives to be implemented by 2010. A special thanks goes to the co-chairs of that working group:

   Karen Hedine, President & CEO
   Micronics Inc.
   www.micronics.net

   Lee Huntsman, President Emeritus
   University of Washington
   www.washington.edu

The full Life Sciences industry cluster strategy can be found starting on page 44 of the Prosperity Partnership's Regional Economic Strategy.

Contact
For more information, contact Bill McSherry, bmcsherry@@psrc.org, 206-971-3269