Valley Bioscience Overview

Sharon: Where would you like to see Arizona in five years?

MaryAnn: The total, integrated ecosystem is important. From a non-profit perspective, I believe that we need philanthropy, state and federal funds put into the valley of death. We have not mentioned it, but that’s a big valley that stops many of these ideas moving from a research environment into commercialization. We have to figure out how to provide resources at this critical juncture to reduce risk related to these technologies/businesses and push more qualified deal flow into the pipeline that the venture world will want to fund. I’d like to see a community that uses their philanthropy to support new/better paying jobs and companies that advance the wellness of the entire community! At BioAccel we’re creating a philanthrocapitalist network to accomplish that objective. Let’s drive philanthropy, capitalism and leverage the assets that we have and bring the community around to this model of lowering obstacles to commercialization. We want to focus on informing and educating the communities (business, legislative, donor and researchers) so that they better understand the complexity and opportunities, so wherever they want to play (invest), they know the process and feel comfortable being part of it. Hopefully, in five years we will have implemented a successful process, educated the community and lowered the obstacles to getting from research into commercialization. Then we will have the total economic package and will be leaders rather than followers.


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BioAccel is dedicated to applying its BioAccel Commercialization Programs to drive economic development by translating bioscience discoveries into new business opportunities that accelerate commercialization in the life sciences. BioAccel has a focus on diagnostics, therapeutics, devices/tools and services. Our mission and staff are dedicated to bridging the expertise and funding gaps, and provide the necessary skills to efficiently enhance and develop technology into commercially available products and services.

A recent update to Arizona's Bioscience Roadmap: Toward 2012 indicates that challenges and gaps still exist in commercializing Arizona's technology assets. They include; Commercialization tools, business mentoring, and creating capital. Various organizations are working together in an attempt to address these challenges.

BioAccel, an independent, Arizona not-for-profit organization, has now joined in this effort. The mission of BioAccel is to drive economic development through the commercialization of late-stage basic and applied research in the life sciences. Through its BioAccel Commercialization Programs, BioAccel promotes the formation of new business ventures in the life sciences, provides development assistance to those new business ventures, as well as drives economic development in the biosciences.