In this episode, URC Executive Director Jeff Mason speaks to Jeff Guilfoyle of Public Sector Consultants about the report “Leading Discovery: URC Contributions to the Life, Medical and Health Sciences,” which Guilfoyle helped produce. Among other things, the report found that approximately one in eight Michigan jobs are in the life, medical, and health sciences, and this sector is an important stabilizing force for the state’s economy.
The URC institutions (Michigan State University, the University of Michigan, and Wayne State University) conducted over $1.2 billion in academic R&D in the life, medical, and health sciences in 2015, accounting for 95 percent of the state’s total.
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The University Research Corridor showcases Michigan’s world class universities, economic competitiveness, and scientific breakthroughs being made every day in our state. This innovative partnership is creating jobs, fostering relationships with all types of businesses, from our largest corporations to smallest entrepreneurial businesses, and driving innovation in all sectors of our economy.
I think certainly there has been an uptick in entrepreneurship in the state, and I think a lot of that is owed to the URC getting more involved in economic development in the last 10 years.
The URC is an incredible asset for our industry, state, and citizens in terms of the scale of R&D conducted at its universities in critically important areas. Medical and healthcare discoveries with the potential to improve and save lives position Michigan as a top state for innovation in the life, medical and health sciences.