TEXAS AT A GLANCE
Texas is home to approximately 914 traditional biotechnology, biomedical research, business and government consortia, medical manufacturing companies, and world-class universities and research facilities employing approximately 28,913 Texans. In the more broadly defined biotechnology areas, Texas boasts 3,097 establishments employing approximately 78,986 people.*
According to National Science Foundation data, in 2003, Texas ranked second for the number of life and physical scientists employed by state.*
In 2005, one of every 23 U.S. biotechnology employees worked in Texas.*
Ernst & Young data released in 2006 showed Texas ranking ninth nationally for the number of traditional biotechnology companies located in-state.*
Texas is home to seven recipients of biotechnology-related Nobel Prizes, National Medals of Science, and National Medals of Technology. Four active Nobel laureates are currently working at one Texas medical school, the most at any medical school in the world.*
In 2005, Texas ranked sixth in the nation for NIH awards and fifth nationally for NIH SBIR (Small business Innovation Research) awards, over $33 million worth.*
The Milken Institute recognized one university system in Texas in 2006 as number one in the world in terms of number and quality of biotechnology patents generated. (Mind to Market: Milken Institute, September 2006)
Fifty-five medical research institutions and research parks as well as one of the world’s largest medical complexes call Texas home, and the state is consistently a top-ranked leader in clinical trials for global and domestic pharmaceutical firms.*
Venture capital investment in Texas grew 28 percent to $1.4 billion in 2006, outstripping the nation’s 12 percent growth. (Southwest Economy: January/February 2007, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas)
Texas ranked second nationally in 2006 for agricultural products exports. Seventy-seven percent of the state’s corn crop in 2006 and seventy percent of the state’s cotton crop were genetically modified to resist insects, tolerate herbicides, or both. Texas accounted for a third of the nation’s cotton crop that year.*
Texas public health-related institutions awarded 4,515 degrees and Texas independent health-related institutions awarded 647 degrees in fiscal year 2006 for a total of 5,162.*
A 2004 study by the Milken Institute found that the Texas biopharmaceutical industry directly employed 12, 311 people and had a multiplier effect of 3.8, bringing the number of indirect and induced employees to almost 34,000. The biopharmaceutical industry also had a direct economic impact of $1.5 billion in Texas and a total economic impact over $2.99 billion. (Biopharmaceutical Industry Contributions to State and U.S. Economies)
The March 2005 Texas Biotechnology and Life Science Cluster Report from the Texas Workforce Commission identified over 7 billion square feet of research laboratory spaced in key scientific areas on Texas campuses.
The Texas Legislature in 2005 approved House Bill 1765 establishing a $200 million Texas Emerging Technology Fund designed to speed up the commercialization process of innovative emerging technologies which will result in the creation of high-quality new jobs or has the potential to result in a medical or scientific breakthrough. The legislation was re-authorized in 2007 and funding provided in the amount of $75 million. Forty-four entities have signed contracts to receive ETF money to date, of that total nineteen were life science related projects totaling over $61 million. (February 2008)
The Texas Legislature passed House Bill 14 in 2007 and Texas voters approved Proposition 15 which will provide up to $3 billion over a ten year period of time to the Cancer Research and Prevention Institute of Texas. This initiative will support efforts to finding cures for all types of cancer.
*Statistics taken from the March 2007 Texas Biotechnology Industry Report from the Governor’s Economic Development and Tourism Office web.
