Oklahoma Biotech Innovation Cluster
Coalition Lead: Oklahoma City Economic Development Foundation
Phase 2 Award: $35 million
Additional Public and Nonprofit Funding (Sept. 2022 – Sept. 2024): $8.65 million
Project Description:
The Oklahoma Biotech Innovation Cluster is leveraging a $35 million BBBRC grant to rapidly expand its biotechnology cluster, bolstering domestic resiliency within the biopharmaceutical supply chain and making the cluster more globally competitive. After 25 years of building the Greater Oklahoma City bioscience industry, the region is at a critical inflection point for scalable and equitable growth. Since 2001, local employment in the industry has grown 25 percent, biomedical research and development activity has more than doubled, and anchor economic development institutions have onboarded new leadership specifically prioritizing inclusive and equitable growth.
The coalition unites regional partners such as the Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, the Oklahoma City Innovation District, and the Oklahoma City Economic Development Foundation.
As of September 2024, the coalition has made significant strides in achieving its vision of an expanded biotechnology cluster:
- The Oklahoma University Bioprocessing Core Facility has had its undergraduate and graduate certifications approved by the regional governing bodies, and courses are scheduled to launch in the fall semester of 2024. The center is working to increase the number of qualified and in-demand biomanufacturing technicians in the region.
- The Biosciences Cluster Collaborative has successfully launched its new statewide life sciences association, Life Science Oklahoma, which will continue to serve as the governance piece of the coalition’s work even after the Build Back Better Regional Challenge grant period has ended to ensure continued successes.
- Oklahoma University’s Gallogly College of Engineering’s team has made significant progress in its research training project: “Optimizing CHO Fed-Batch Cell Cultures: Dynamic PLS Modeling for Predictive Yield Enhancement and Accelerating Clone Selection Processes of different Design of Experiment Conditions.”
Coalition Overarching Narrative (applicant submitted) (PDF)
“The Oklahoma City Economic Development Foundation and its regional partners are committed to advancing the region’s bioscience cluster as an integral means of augmented investment into a more diversified, resilient, and inclusive economy across the 10-county Greater Oklahoma City Region through partnerships spanning key Oklahoma communities including Tribal Nations.”
Oklahoma Biotech Innovation Cluster
Related Links
- Learn more OKBioStart, the coalition partner that is accelerating early-stage life science innovation.
- Learn more about the Stephenson Cancer Center, which is working to bring the highest level of research-driven cancer care to Oklahoma by developing 10 translational research labs dedicated to drug discovery for cancer, heart failure, diabetes, and infectious disease and doubling their clinical trial program.
- Learn more about Life Science Oklahoma, the new statewide life science organization that serves as the coalition’s governance project and supports, advances, and promotes the growth and expansion of the industry. This association connects industry stakeholders to advance innovation, economic development, and health outcomes.
- Learn more about BioTC, a Workforce certification program providing technician-level training, a non-degreed career pathways into high-way jobs.