Battelle gives directions to northern Arizona bioscience roadmap

Employment in the high-paying field of biosciences in Flagstaff grew three times faster than the rest of the nation from 2001-2005, but the high cost of housing and worker shortages in northern Arizona pose challenges to future success.

Such was the scenario presented Oct. 16 by Walter Plosila of Battelle, a technology development firm that authored Arizona's Bioscience Roadmap, with funding from the Flinn Foundation. Plosila, vice president of Technology Partnership Practice, was on the NAU campus to unveil the bioscience roadmap for northern Arizona.

Flagstaff bioscience employment grew by 19.5 percent during the four-year period, outpacing the national growth rate of 6.2 percent, according to Plosila. Prescott also is experiencing job growth in the biosciences.

"You're ahead of San Diego, Philadelphia, Boston and Salt Lake City," he said.

Medical devices and equipment is the fastest growing bioscience subsector, largely due to the presence of W.L. Gore, and hospitals are the largest employer in the region's bioscience sector, Plosila said.

The Battelle vice president noted that northern Arizona's bioscience research and development base is growing but remains small.

"The quality of R&D is exceptional," Plosila said, citing funding awards from the National Institutes of Health to Northern Arizona University. The average increase in NIH funding to NAU researchers was double the national average.

Diagnostics technology and environmental technology hold the greatest promise for development in northern Arizona, according to Plosila. Those technology platforms include research in infectious diseases, muscle physiology, engineering (sensors and diagnostics), environmental and ecological systems, and Native American health.

A necessary ingredient for building a critical mass in the biosciences is an engaged university with active leadership, and NAU has demonstrated its strength in undergraduate science education, Plosila said. He also pointed to a strong talent pool from Coconino Community College and Yavapai College.

Additionally, Plosila presented stats on bioscience wages, which average more than $45,000 per year, compared to the average of $27,000 for other jobs in the private sector.

While northern Arizona offers "a very positive environment" for regional bioscience economy, two key challenges are the high cost of housing and related workforce shortages.

"Recruiting people (to northern Arizona) is less and less a viable solution because of the cost of housing," Plosila said.

He suggests some grow-your-own options that include companies creating new career paths for nonexperienced entry-level workers and expanding the use of internships and co-op programs.

Northern Arizona should explore several options to address housing costs, Plosila said.

Another critical hurdle is the lack of available talent in the region. High schools need to graduate more students with skills in science, technology, engineering and math—known as the STEM fields, Plosila said. "You see science and math in the schools but not the T and E."

The region also needs to pursue venture capital investments, invest in technology infrastructure, including transportation, and grow research and development at NAU in targeted technology platforms, Plosila said.

Following the presentation of the northern Arizona bioscience roadmap, officials from the city, business community, NAU, Battelle and Flinn Foundation attended a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Science, Technology and Clean Energy Center on McMillan Mesa. This technology incubator will provide spaces for new start-up companies and will be managed by the Northern Arizona Center for Emerging Technologies.