Build Back Better Grant provides boost to Oklahoma City biotech cluster

Years ago, biotech and biosciences were not words you would typically associate with Oklahoma City, let alone be able to picture a thriving sector that employs more than 50,000 people. But times are changing, and they are changing fast due to some recent strategic investments.

To capitalize on bioscience assets already in place and help diversify itself away from an economy over-reliant on energy, Oklahoma City has steadily – and intentionally – transformed itself into an emerging bioscience player over the last few decades, garnering attention from across the nation and the globe. One national publication last year even named Oklahoma City as one of five emerging life science development hubs. Accolades like that were not achieved by accident, nor has it been an easy path. Rather, it has been realized through the cooperative and collaborative efforts from several public and private entities and leaders, all of whom understood the importance of strengthening Oklahoma City’s standing in this increasingly global marketplace.

Last September, the Oklahoma Biotech Innovation Cluster (OBIC) Initiative was awarded a $35-million grant through the Build Back Better Regional Challenge administrated by U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA). Oklahoma was one of just 21 communities in the United States to be awarded the grant to invest in emerging industries. The Oklahoma Biotech Innovation Cluster (OBIC) Initiative, a coalition spearheaded by the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber alongside primary partners including the University of Oklahoma, the Oklahoma City Innovation District, and with industry leadership from Echo Investment Capital, is another great example of how partnership has helped create a bioscience sector in the plains.

The OBIC coalition is supported by more than 40 partners across academia, tribal nations, government, industry, community, investors and other key stakeholders involved in the continued development of the burgeoning biotechnology cluster in Oklahoma and the money will be used to fund six core projects:

• OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center for Therapeutic – Translational Research Labs: development of 10 translational research labs dedicated to drug discovery within the OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center.

• Oklahoma Biotech Startup Program – supportive programming to build a vibrant regional biotech startup pipeline led by the University of Oklahoma.

• The University of Oklahoma Biotech Core Facility – a new facility with state-of-the-art high-throughput, advanced bioprocessing equipment and services for instructors and researchers at OU, local nonprofit organizations like the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation (OMRF), and private companies like Wheeler Bio.

• OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center Early Phase Clinical Trial Network – an initiative to double the size of the existing clinical trial program at OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center, commensurate with the demand for Phase I trials created through accompanying translational science investments and industry growth.

• Biomanufacturing Workforce Training Center – a new program housed in the Oklahoma City Innovation District to meet the growing demand for skilled labor in the OBIC, which will enable the formation of inclusive, non-degreed career pathways into high-wage jobs.

• Oklahoma Bioscience Cluster Initiative – an initiative to lead regular convenings of industry leadership, conduct needs assessments, encourage regional connectivity and spur policy advocacy.

“Obviously, the grant money will be transformative not just for our local biotech cluster but for the whole state,” said Jeff Seymour, executive vice president of economic development for the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber. “But what was extremely rewarding was to see how leadership came together, in the public and private sector, across industries to put Oklahoma’s best foot forward to secure this highly competitive grant.”

Even Oklahoma City residents understand what a thriving bioscience sector means for the long-term economic viability of Oklahoma City. For instance, one of the 16 projects approved by Oklahoma City voters as part of the Metropolitan Area Projects (MAPS) 4 initiative is a $10 million matching grant that will go toward the construction of an innovation hall in the city’s Innovation District. The innovation hall will serve as a central place where activities to grow Oklahoma City’s innovation economy can be facilitated. In addition to the innovation hall, residents also approved funds to construct the Henrietta B. Foster Center for Northeast Small Business Development and Entrepreneurship, connectivity in and around the Innovation District and operating funds for these projects. In total, Oklahoma City citizens voted on more than $71 million to be invested in the Innovation District.

This investment has already led to major private development with the announcement of Convergence. This development will include the innovation hall as well an office tower, 50,000-square-feet of lab space, a hotel, retail, public space and more.

This entrepreneurial spirit has served Oklahoma City well as OKC’s bioscience and biotechnology sector has grown into a $7 billion industry and boasting a workforce of approximately 50,000. With established bioscience players such as OMRF, where researchers have made ground-breaking discoveries for several major human diseases; the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and its seven medical schools; pharmaceutical manufacturer Cytovance Biologics; and relative newcomer and bio-manufacturer Wheeler Labs, who in 2020 developed Oklahoma’s first at-home COVID-19 test, Oklahoma City is poised for continued growth in the bioscience and biotechnology sector.

An array of Oklahoma City companies has already established its footprint within the bioscience and technology space, and there are a variety of startups that are on their way to achieving success as part of this incredibly important sector. It is no surprise then that they and other fellow startups, not only in the bio world but in other emerging or established business sectors, had their genesis in Oklahoma City. After all, Oklahoma City has developed a reputation for being a great place for startups. Last year, Oklahoma City was named one of the best cities for startups by Real Estate Witch and has the lowest cost of living for a major metro.

“More than two decades ago., the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber spearheaded the effort to examine how to leverage some great bioscience assets in our community to truly create a thriving cluster,” said Seymour. “All these years later to see the EDA decide this is something they need to invest in and to see our citizens decide to vote to invest in the sector so heavily, through MAPS 4, is great validation we are on the right track. It is inspiring to see the hard work of so many people over the past couple of decades start to pay off. It feels like we are on the tipping point of something major when it comes to biotech in Oklahoma.”

For more information on doing biotech business in Oklahoma City contact the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber economic development team at (405) 297-8900 or econdev@okcchamber.com