$1 Billion investment propels local Bioscience industry

The UO Knight Campus embodies a new paradigm for pioneering scientific inquiry that accelerates the cycle of translating scientific discoveries into societal impact. The region is on the rise, fueled by the passion of world-class research and entrepreneurs who are in it for the long haul. With a culture that’s always moving forward, the companies that call this community home are poised to make a real impact. Between its ranking as the third most innovative state in the country and top-five in patents per capita, it’s no wonder Oregon’s bioscience industry generated a staggering $21.2 billion in economic impact in 2023.

Lane County is home to 159 bioscience establishments that employ 1,663 workers. Between 2010 and 2021, the bioscience sector added 101 establishments and employment grew by 75%. Going forward, growth is expected to be helped by the addition of the Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact at the University of Oregon. The average wage in the bioscience sector at $77,200 is well above the Lane County all-industry average of $52,596 thanks to high paying occupations in medicine and science.

At the Papé Family Innovation Center, entrepreneurs can lease wet lab spaces in UO’s Knight Campus Building 1 — a necessity for culturing cells or working with chemicals. Such activities provide critical proof-of-principle that a new invention is worthy of significant investment. The facilities foster “spin-ins”—established companies that come to the UO to collaborate in close proximity to students being trained in the Knight Campus and other applied science programs. The ultimate result of these diverse activities is scientific discoveries that launch or grow businesses, adding jobs and economic development for Oregon.