The industrial biotechnology industry is one of the most promising new approaches to pollution prevention, resource conservation and cost reduction. With the industry expected to grow into a $4 trillion to $30 trillion sector, the Houston region is positioning itself as a leading synthetic bio industrial hub.   Houston is already home to a growing number of biotech startups and established firms who are relocating or expanding operations in the region.   rBIO, a biotech startup based out of San Diego, has relocated to Houston to take advantage of the exciting developments happening within its life science ecosystem. Founder Cameron Owen says that Houston was not originally on his radar, citing San Diego and Boston as being the two major biotech and life science hubs, but after visiting the city in December 2021, he was impressed by what he witnessed. “Companies from California like us and the coastal areas were converging here in Houston and creating this new type of bioeconomy,” Owen said in an interview with Innovation Map. “When we look to want to get into manufacturing, we definitely want to build something here in Houston.” rBIO is currently coming out of its R&D stage and transitioning into clinical trials, with a third to come this April. The company is making plans to fundraise and meet with potential partners to scale up and build out a facility in the future.  PackGene is another biotech company making moves in the Greater Houston area. Last month, the company broke ground on a 25,000-square-foot facility, located southwest of the 610 Loop. The building will house processing and analytical lab space, designated space for quality control, a warehouse, and office space. PackGene has plans to triple its Houston workforce to 60 by the end of 2023 upon the building’s completion. In a statement to the Houston Business Journal, PackGene’s chief technology officer LiYing Yang said, “We are excited to bring economical, reliable and scalable AAV products, as well as our viral vector development and (good manufacturing practices) production capabilities, to our next full-service operations center in Houston... These capabilities will enable us to serve our U.S. customers better and, importantly, to help bring life-saving therapies to patients faster, more reliably, and more cost-effectively.”  In February, Swiss biotech company Lonza completed its 15,000-square-foot laboratory expansion as part of ongoing efforts to develop and scale its gene and cell therapy customer base.  As part of a growing effort to cement Houston as a leading life sciences, tech and innovation hub, the Partnership recently hosted some of Houston’s brightest minds at its first Bio Industrial Luncheon. Business leaders and industry experts came together to discuss the importance of Houston’s biotech industry and how partners and stakeholders across various industries and disciplines can get involved.  First Bight Ventures has recently launched the BioWell, a public-private partnership that will provide resources and support to biomanufacturing innovators. According to a company statement, the BioWell will “provide a holistic, curated support for startups" to bridge the gap between R&D and commercialization. The goal is to create a thriving ecosystem for biomanufacturing and biotech startups made up of people across corporations, foundations, investors, and academic institutions. The importance of creating the infrastructure and support system necessary for making this vision a reality was highlighted by international consultant Dan Holladay. “Success will depend on comprehensive industry-wide collaboration,” he said.  First Bight is being joined in its efforts by BASF, the corporate venture capital arm of the BASF Group – a chemical manufacturing company - and the East End Maker Hub, an innovation hub and incubator in Houston.  Learn more about Houston’s life science ecosystem. 

The Partnership’s 12th annual Rise to the Top event convened over 600 attendees this week to hear a dynamic discussion among diverse female leaders on how the Houston region can embrace equity. “Although International Women’s Day was Wednesday, the Partnership continues this global celebration of the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women by coming together to detail what it means to rise to the top,” Chief Development Officer and Senior Vice President of Member Engagement Katie Pryor said.  Today there are 44 female Fortune 500 CEOs in the U.S., which is up from 41 in 2022. Partnership President and CEO Bob Harvey said the Partnership’s Board of Directors is currently 26% female and the Partnership staff is over two-thirds women. “Houston has made great strides in terms of women represented in leadership positions,” Harvey said, adding female representation must improve. The panelists covered a wide range of topics including juggling priorities with such tremendous responsibilities, how to be change agents for creating inclusive workplaces, and the challenges and triumphs of their personal career journeys.  Katie Pryor served as the moderator for the event’s panel discussion featuring: April Bailey, Regional President, Central Texas, Amegy Bank Dr. Lesia L. Crumpton-Young, President, Texas Southern University Shiva McMahon, Executive Vice President, International Operations, Woodside Energy Maria Rios, President & CEO, Nation Waste Inc. While embracing equity was this year’s theme for International Women's Day, “transformation” was the recurring word during the discussion to describe how we can move equity forward.  “I'm going to encourage us to build upon the equity conversation to transformation," Crumpton-Young said. She applauded the efforts to move the focus from equality to equity but encouraged attendees to push the conversation further by focusing on the transformation aspect and how it can lead to action.   Creating a more inclusive workplace was another topic of discussion. McMahon said we should tap into empathy as we look to support and amplify others. “We have to transform and make the table a lot bigger to make room for more seats – that’s how we can make people feel welcome.”  Other impactful takeaways included the topic of prioritizing, especially as accomplished women in various industries.  Bailey revealed she struggled with anxiety until she finally pursued the help she needed. “People look at you in these positions and they think you have it all together. But we don’t,” Bailey said. Crumpton-Young also reiterated this sentiment, saying “I think I was liberated the moment someone told me that ‘no true balance exists.’” The Partnership is committed to addressing diversity and equity in the Houston business community through the One Houston Together initiative. The second-ever One Houston Together Regional Assessment, which serves as a critical tool for business planning and advancing progress on DEI, launches on April 1. “The regional assessment provides the only local data available that takes an intersectional look at how women and ethnic minorities fare in the Houston workplace,” Harvey said. Rise to the Top is the signature event of the Partnership’s Business Resource Group, Women’s Business Alliance (WBA). To learn more about getting involved, click here or contact membership@houston.org.