June 25, 2010

Governor Calls for National Commitment to Building Jobs in an Innovation Economy

Markell, Gephardt, Private/Public Sector Leaders Focus on Medical Innovation and Finding Cures

WILMINGTON - Delaware Governor Jack Markell joined Former House Majority Leader Dick Gephardt  at Delaware Technical and Community College in a call to promote medical innovation as a means of creating jobs and finding cures.    Research prepared by The Battelle Technology Partnership Practice for the Council for American Medical Innovation (CAMI) shows that the U.S. is losing ground as a leader in medical innovation, an area that generates high-quality jobs and if properly fostered, could generate more.

“It is critical to our national and economic interest that we own medical innovation in the future as thoroughly as we owned mechanical innovation in the past.  We need continued leadership in promoting critical bio-medical industries in order to secure the jobs of the future.   We’re talking about unleashing the American spirit of enterprise and our entrepreneurial energy to tackle not just the next great economic opportunity but the next great medical discovery,” said Governor Markell.  “Delaware has a well-earned reputation as a cradle of innovation.”

“Medical innovation presents the best opportunity to help innovate our way out of the health and economic crises facing America today, but it’s clear the clock is ticking,” said Congressman Gephardt, Chairman of CAMI. “Advancing a national strategy for medical innovation that engages all sectors – public, private and academic – through empowered federal office is an effective first step.”

Joining Governor Markell and Congressman Gephardt were Rich Fante, President AstraZeneca US and Regional VP North America, Bob Dayton, President, Delaware Bioscience Association, Dennis Rochford, Delaware Health Care Commission, Dr. Robert Laskowski, M.D., President & CEO, Christiana Care Health Systems and Sam Lathem, President, Delaware AFL-CIO as well as more than 100 innovators and leaders in life sciences and biotechnology in Delaware.

Most of the world’s top pharmaceutical companies have major operations within a 50-mile radius of Delaware and some of the world’s most recognizable brands in biotechnology and medical innovation are based in Delaware.   Delaware’s biopharmaceutical and medical innovation sector provides nearly 30,000 jobs and directly employs 11,500 workers in 247 companies.  The Delaware Technology Park is home to a number of emerging biopharmaceutical companies and the state helps incubate emerging technologies at the Delaware Biotechnology Institute in Newark. 

The Governor promised to pursue further conversation to promote medical innovation at the national level in his role as Vice chair of the Economic Development Committee at the National Governors Association and as Chairman of the Democratic Governor’s Association to get other Governors to help answer this call to action.