Connecticut Bioscience Cluster Growing

According to the Connecticut United for Research Excellence (CURE) organization, Connecticut's bioscience cluster invested a total of $3.82 billion in research and development in 2002, compared with $3.61 billion in 2001.

Those figures are in line with a 4.2 percent increase in laboratory space, CURE reported yesterday in its eighth annual economic report. Research and development efforts took up 5.7 million square feet statewide at year’s end, up from 5.54 million square feet.

Employment at biotech companies rose 1 percent in 2002, despite layoffs and belt-tightening at several biotech companies, CURE reported. Biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies employed a total of 16,686 people at year’s end, up from 16,500 in 2001.

Every bioscience job supports 3.15 jobs in other industries statewide, CURE says.

I like the way Connecticut is keeping tabs on its cluster initiatives. A big part of the credit for this effort goes to CURE and to CERC (Connecticut Economic Research Center).