CBSA to hold BioBreakfast at the Capitol on Feb. 24

By: InnovatioNews Friday February 20, 2015 0 comments Tags: April Giles, CBSA, Christopher Tompkins, David Shine, Denver, Ginny Orndorff, Harry Horowitz

 

DENVER - Colorado BioScience Association (CBSA) will hold its annual BioBreakfast at the Capitol on Feb. 24, focusing on key 2015 legislative priorities impacting the state's 600 bioscience companies.

The event will be held from 8-11 a.m. in the Old Supreme Court Chambers at the State Capitol Building in downtown Denver.

CBSA said highlights of the gathering will include an update on the association's legislative priorities, including House Bill 1180, which would establish a sales and use tax refund for Colorado's medical technology and cleantech companies.

The event will also include legislator remarks, a federal policy update and success stories from the state's Bioscience Discovery Evaluation Grant Program (BDEGP) and Advanced Industries Accelerator program.

BioBreakfast speakers will include David Shine, dBMEDx CEO; Christopher Tompkins, KromaTiD president and COO; Ginny Orndorff, executive director, Colorado Institute for Drug, Device and Diagnostic Discovery (CID4); and Harry Horowitz, senior manager for Advanced Industries, Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT).

"A thriving bioscience industry requires strong partnerships with the state to drive innovation, accelerate commercialization and create jobs," said April Giles, CBSA president and CEO.

"We welcome this annual opportunity for CBSA members to meet our legislators and discuss the policy priorities that accelerate our industry's growth and support our state's competitiveness on a global scale."

Registration for the BioBreakfast is free for CBSA members and $50 for others. Sponsors of the event are Fitzsimons Redevelopment Authority, Terumo BCT and We Work for Health.

CBSA said the BDEGP program has made 274 grants since 2006 totaling approximately $30.2 million. The economic impact has been 46 new companies, 409.8 direct jobs and $460.4 million in additional investments.

The Advanced Industries program, created in 2013, has made 44 grants totaling about $10.7 million. That's resulted in 15.5 new jobs, 26.25 retained jobs and $17.5 million in additional investments, CBSA said.