Middle Tennessee has some catching up to do with Memphis and Knoxville in the field of biotechnology. And according to a report at the Tennessee Biotech Association annual meeting, the mid-state is making headway.
The number of biotech startups and active companies around Nashville has more than doubled over the last year from eight to 20, says Jim Monsor of Biomimetic Therapeutics in Cool Springs.
“We’ve sort of been behind the game. There have been a few companies here, haven’t been quite as well connected and the level of collaboration among all the stakeholders hasn’t quite been there, but it is definitely moving in that direction.”
Monsor’s Biomimetic works in the area of synthetic tissue repair. His report notes the initial public offering of Cumberland Pharmaceuticals and the pioneering work of Biothermatics whose technology uses heat to help the body heal.
Outside Middle Tennessee, Memphis is already home to medical device companies Medtronic and Wright Medical. It’s also had recent success with a business incubator called Memphis Bioworks.
The Knoxville area has the benefit of Oak Ridge National Lab. Economic development officials there are looking to build on the area’s 47 biotech companies with three research parks in the works.
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