Together, Wayne County's life sciences and health care businesses currently employ more than 100,000 people, with a payroll of $5.64 billion. Nearly half of Southeast Michigan's employment in healthcare research and manufacturing is by companies located in Wayne County, and Wayne County employs half of all area residents working in the life sciences industry (manufacturing and R&D).
Wayne County is home to some of the largest and most prestigious academic medical centers, research and development (R&D) organizations, and hospitals in North America. These medical and R&D organizations have demonstrated an understanding of the importance of innovative, timely, and cost-effective research development support programs, ensuring that the environment is ripe for aggressive growth in the life sciences sector in Wayne County.
For example:
The Henry Ford Medical Group is one of the nation's largest and most experienced group practices, with more than 1,000 physicians and researchers in more than 40 specialties. One-third of all physicians in Michigan received training at Henry Ford, and its post-graduate medical education enterprise is among the largest in the country. Henry Ford is also a leader in research: it is in the top 6% of National Institutes of Health-funded institutions, and in Michigan is exceeded only by the University of Michigan and Wayne State University.
The
Wayne State School of Medicine, with more than 1,000 students, is the largest single-campus medical school in the nation. WSU is among the top 50 public research universities, with $253 million in annual research expenditures for 2009 according to the National Science Foundation. WSU's research programs were also ranked by the Carnegie 2000 University Research classification as being in the top 5 percent of universities. As a partner in the new University Research Corridor, WSU plays a vital role with Michigan's two other research universities, Michigan State University and the University of Michigan, through transferring technology to the marketplace, educating the work force and attracting talent to the state.
The
Detroit Medical Center (DMC) is part of Wayne State University. It is the largest single-campus medical school in the nation, with more than 1,000 medical students. The DMC has more than 2,000 licensed beds and 3,000 affiliated physicians in internationally known specialist hospitals. In addition to undergraduate medical education, the school offers master's degree, Ph.D. and M.D.-Ph.D. programs in 14 areas of basic science to about 400 students annually.
The
Karmanos Cancer Institute, based in Detroit, is also part of Wayne State University and the Detroit Medical Center. Karmanos is one of 40 National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the United States, providing care for more than 6,000 new patients annually on a budget of $216 million. The Karmanos Cancer Institute is among the nation's best cancer centers; it conducts more than 700 cancer-specific scientific investigation programs and clinical trials each year, with over 1,000 staff (including nearly 300 faculty members).
Wayne County is also home to two world-class research and development business incubators that are stimulating job growth and helping small life sciences businesses develop quickly.
In
TechTown, Detroit's research and technology park, life science and other high-tech companies are provided with a comprehensive range of commercial and scientific infrastructure, including state-of-the-art offices and labs, operational and management support services and assistance with accessing capital. TechTown tenants access these valuable resources at a cost that compares favorably with any other center of its kind in North America.
TechTown is currently home to over 70 companies and organizations including:
The
Henry Ford Health System: Henry Ford relocated its genetics labs to approximately 13,600 square feet of high-quality research space in TechTown in 2008. The Henry Ford Health System labs located at TechTown also include cytogenetics, DNA, drug discovery and AXT.
Asterand PLC: The number one performing stock on the London Stock Exchange in 2008, UK-headquartered Asterand established its U.S. commercial headquarters at TechTown. Asterand is the leading global supplier of high quality, well characterized human tissue and human tissue-based research services to drug discovery scientists, which helps them to accelerate the identification and validation of drug targets and enhance the selection of drug candidates with an increased likelihood of clinical success.
The
Michigan Neonatal Biotrust Bio-Repository: The Neonatal Biotrust occupies about 4,800 square feet at TechTown. It has built a world-class repository of nearly 3.5 million well-preserved and well-documented neonatal blood samples. The samples have valuable applications in the research and development of new molecular diagnostics, prognostics, and in drug development.
TechTown has also established international business and innovation collaborations at its site, enabling representatives from some of the world's fastest growing markets to establish a presence at TechTown (including Hungary and Central Europe, China, India and Mexico).
This year, Wayne County, in partnership with the public, private, and academic sectors, is working to create Michigan's first Stem Cell Development & Commercialization Center at TechTown. The Center capitalizes on recent legislation passed by the state that paves the way for embryonic stem cell research and leverages the gains already made in mature stem cell technology.
"This partnership provides the foundation for research that will create treatments for many diseases that cannot be treated today," Wayne County Executive Robert A. Ficano explains. "This Center will be the first of its kind in Michigan, and it demonstrates to the country and to the world that we have both the talent and the desire to be a leader in the commercialization of stem cell technology."
Over in Plymouth Township, the
Michigan Life Science and Innovation Center (MLSIC) continues to connect experienced entrepreneurs in the life sciences industry such as Esperion Therapeutics to business accelerator organizations and start-up companies. Operating under one roof provides plenty of opportunities for networking, mentoring and
expertise sharing. Wayne County partnered with the State of Michigan, neighboring Washtenaw County and
Ann Arbor SPARK to develop the MLSIC in 2008. The 57,518-square-foot facility offers office space, laboratory facilities and rare vivarium areas that are accessible to the private sector.
The catalyst for the Center was Dr. Roger Newton, co-founder of the drug Lipitor and one of Southeast Michigan's most renowned entrepreneurs and scientists.
"Last year, Dr. Newton proclaimed that this is the most exciting place you could be right now," notes County Executive Ficano. "This Center is one of several facilities in Wayne County that makes it hard not to agree."
"In order to stay competitive, you have to create an environment where people want to do business" Ficano concludes. "We are one of the fastest growing life sciences states in the country over the past decade, and Wayne County is committed to making sure that the emerging medical breakthroughs of tomorrow will continue being created right here, today."
Todd Fenton is a Senior Executive Project Manager with the Wayne County Land Bank.