Just this summer Iowa’s bioscience economy got a boost with the news that the University of Iowa and Iowa State University are looking to hire a leader as the Iowa Innovation Corp. transforms into the Iowa Biosciences Development Center. The Business Record reached out to several authorities in the biosciences arena to consider these questions: 
What’s the current state of Iowa’s biosciences industry?
What are challenges to the state’s efforts in this area?
What are some successes out there or people or developments to watch?

You can read their thoughtful responses on these pages.
– Suzanne Behnke, editor, Business Record

Advancing Iowa’s bioscience potential

The bioscience market in Iowa is thriving

Leverage university research to expand Iowa’s bioscience economy

Facts about Iowa’s biosciences industry

In 2017, Iowa exported $172 million in pharmaceutical products to 60 countries. Top export markets were Mexico ($26.3 million), Canada ($23.1 million), Japan ($17.5 million), Spain ($14.4 million) and Singapore ($12.7 million). 
(GTIS, 2017)

In 2014, Iowa’s bioscience industry employed 24,762 across 1,266 individual business establishments.
(Battelle, 2014)

Iowa had the second-highest location quotient for veterinarians with 72 percent more than the national average.
(Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2016)

Iowa has the seventh-highest concentration of food scientists in the country, 110 percent more than the national average. 
(Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2016)

Iowa has the 14th-highest concentration of biological technicians in the country, with 33 percent more than the national average. 
(Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2016)

Iowa ranks second in the country for the number of science and engineering bachelor’s degrees conferred per 1,000 people ages 18-24.
(National Science Foundation, 2011)