During an interview yesterday from the tradeshow floor of the 2008 Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) Annual Conference, Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley praised Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett on his plans to create a BioSciences Task Force in the County. The conference was held in San Diego, California.

"I want to commend County Executive Leggett for his creation of a bioscience task force for Montgomery County," said Governor Martin O'Malley. "Montgomery County is rich with unique institutional assets, and this task force will help bring together the best and brightest from the County’s federal, private-sector and non-profit life sciences community to help sustain and grow this vital segment of the State’s and County’s economy. Working together, we can strengthen Maryland's position as a national and world leader in the research and development of groundbreaking new science with the potential to reshape the landscape of 21st century medicine."

The announcement of the County’s BioSciences Task Force comes on the heels of Monday’s Bio 2020 initiative announced by O’Malley and yesterday’s release of the latest Milken Institute study, which ranks Maryland second nationwide for technology economy preparedness.

“Montgomery County made a concerted effort some 25 years ago to establish itself as a world leader in the life sciences industry by developing the Shady Grove Life Sciences Center and this effort has certainly benefited both the County and State, as Maryland is today among the very top biotech clusters in the nation and now holds the second highest ranking nationwide for technology economy preparedness, according to the latest study just released by the Milken Institute,” said Leggett. “While this is certainly exciting news, it is imperative that we take stock not only of how far we have come, but more so where we are headed with respect to the continued and future growth and success of our life sciences industry. Our new BioSciences Task Force will no doubt help us in this very important endeavor, and is a great complement to the Governor’s new BIO 2020 Initiative and Maryland Life Sciences Advisory Board.”

The Biosciences Task Force will be comprised of members, appointed by the County Executive, from the public, private and non-profit bioscience community and will meet several times a year to:

- Determine how the County builds on the vision and direction being recommended for the life sciences industry by the Governor’s Life Sciences Advisory Board;

- Identify specific issues that should be incorporated into the State’s life sciences strategy so that Montgomery County’s interests are best represented;

- Review an outline of the Montgomery County BioSciences Strategy and recommend direction, strategies and vehicles to enhance the local life sciences cluster; and

- Review the full Biosciences Strategy for the County and identify enhancements to this plan.

“Given Montgomery County’s array of public and private sector life sciences assets, it is clear that one of the County’s key future employment and corporate growth opportunities rests with the ability of our existing and emerging biotech cluster to translate their valuable inventory of basic research and intellectual property into marketable products,” said Pradeep Ganguly, Ph.D., Director, Montgomery County Department of Economic Development. “The County’s new BioSciences Task Force, working in concert with our partners at the state level, will help to achieve this goal in the most timely and productive manner possible.”

For more information on the Governor’s BIO 2020 Initiative, go to http://www.governor.maryland.gov/pressreleases/080616b.asp. For information on the Milken Institute study, go to www.milkeninstitute.org.