BUILDING A LIFE SCIENCES ECOSYSTEM FOR A STRONGER, HEALTHIER PITTSBURGH
Evan Facher
BUILDING A LIFE SCIENCES ECOSYSTEM FOR A STRONGER, HEALTHIER PITTSBURGH
Evan Facher
Evan Facher, vice chancellor for innovation and entrepreneurship, aims to make Pittsburgh the next big life sciences ecosystem, rivaling Boston and San Diego. To achieve this goal, the region needs to have all the essential pieces needed to nurture early-stage life sciences companies, enabling them to thrive and attract more industry partners and risk capital. In Facher’s vision, the University of Pittsburgh will serve as the academic anchor for this scientific and economic growth.
“Pitt is extremely strong on the research side of the ecosystem,” says Facher. “We make many groundbreaking discoveries, but much of this research is being done to understand new knowledge, and has not necessarily been designed to address a market gap.”
Luckily, Pitt already has infrastructure and resources in place to help its innovators navigate the pathway from early-stage discovery through intellectual property protection and commercialization.
PITT BIOFORGE
While new research and technology are nearly always celebrated, we tend to focus less on how those technologies will be implemented or delivered. Pitt BioForge wants to ensure just as much thought goes into the manufacturing process as the initial discovery. What will soon be a 185,000 square foot state-of-the-art biomanufacturing facility, BioForge aims to spark novel cell and gene therapies from concept to market.
BioForge is anchored by the company ElevateBio—a technology-driven cell and gene therapy company that accelerates access to cutting-edge technologies and expertise to change the future of medicine.
Through BioForge, next-generation manufacturing and delivery can be scaled up, creating a more efficient and cost-effective process to benefit those receiving precision medicine therapies. The BioForge team strives to create inclusive economic growth opportunities for the region and enable equitable access to these life-changing medications.
“This is a big swing for ecosystem creation,” says Facher. “If we can create a local environment where companies want to move here because of these new capabilities at BioForge, it could lead to bigger partnerships and a bench to bedside process that is completely local.”
As Pittsburgh sets its sights on becoming a global life sciences ecosystem, the synergy between Pitt and its regional partners will be instrumental. With a strong research foundation and a passion for innovation in health care, Pittsburgh already attracts top-tier talent making pioneering discoveries. Translating those discoveries into real-word therapies and regional economic growth will shape the future of Pittsburgh and enhance the quality of life for patients locally and worldwide.
OFFICE OF INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Led by Facher, the Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (OIE) is made up of four units, each charged with achieving societal impact and economic development through commercialization.
Innovation Institute
Assists Pitt faculty with intellectual property protection
and management, licensing and startup formation
Big Idea Center
An on-campus, outside the classroom, immersive innovation catalyst that develops the innovation and entrepreneurial skills of the Pitt student community
Office of Industry and Economic Partnerships
Aligns Pitt’s research capabilities and world-class expertise with the needs of industry and venture capital, creating mutually beneficial partnerships that advance important science
Institute for Entrepreneurial Excellence
Offers a dynamic mix of consulting, education and networking opportunities for regional businesses throughout Southwestern PA while serving as an innovative leader in economic development
lifex
Established by Pitt in 2017, LifeX drives the development of life science companies through deep industry expertise and capital infusion. It focuses on therapeutic, device, diagnostic and digital health technologies poised to transform the future of health care. Its highest priority is expanding the opportunity for entrepreneurship in the life sciences ecosystem by developing strong life science companies capable of attracting parterships with industry and the financial community. In November 2023, LifeX received a $2 million grant through the Build to Scale program that administers funds annually through the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration. These funds will create new job opportunities and add new innovations to the local landscape that will make a lasting impact on entrepreneurs, the region and health care industry.
EI³ tackles inequality in entrepreneurship
Pitt’s Equitable, Inclusive, Innovation and Incubation Program, or PittEI³, aims to develop sustainable and equitable cultural change around innovation at the University of Pittsburgh to ensure women and other historically excluded people are participating in innovation and entrepreneurship at all levels. Led by the Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship in partnership with the Office of the Provost, Office of the Senior Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences and the Clinical and Translational Science Institute, PittEI³ is designed to address inequality in academic innovation and entrepreneurship through programming, mentoring and networking. Support includes up to 25% full-time professional effort to devote directly to innovation activities. PittEI³ programming allows fellows to engage in skills training with the opportunity to develop individual innovation planning and mapping. Participants also gain personalized one-on-one coaching and mentoring in addition to helping build the innovation community on campus.