Hudson Valley and biotech are not terms that typically go together, but perhaps they should. There is already a burgeoning biotech cluster in the lower Hudson Valley where business and public partners are trying to create a sort of economic and policy Petrie dish to culture new businesses and allow existing companies to thrive. But biotech is a tricky and competitive business that requires certain conditions to foster growth.
The effort was highlighted at an April 8 roundtable conference at New York Medical College in White Plains featuring big-name pharmaceutical companies and unknown startups, discussing issues facing their industry among themselves and government officials.
The roster of attendees showed how powerful such a biotech cluster could become and demonstrates interest in the Hudson Valley. Among the companies represented at the roundtable were Pfizer, OSI Pharmaceuticals, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, IBM, Acorda Therapeutics, Progenics, Silarx Pharmaceuticals, Chartwell Pharmaceuticals, PsychoGenics, TechnoVax, GenomeWeb and BioMed Realty Trust.
“I think it”™s clear there is a developing cluster here,” said Peter Dworkin, vice president of corporate communications for Tarrytown-based Regeneron, a biopharmaceutical company that employs more than 1,000 people at its three facilities, including a product manufacturing facility in Rensselaer and office space in Bridgewater, N.J.
Dworkin cites examples of other biotech companies in the area, noting especially a recent decision by OSI to move from its former Long Island headquarters to Ardsley.
And Pfizer, the largest pharmaceutical company in the world, announced late last year that Pearl River in Rockland County would be the location of one of Pfizer”™s five global research and development facilities. There are more  than 60 biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies now located in the Hudson Valley, according to the Hudson Valley Economic Development Corp.
It is unclear, however, if others will come to create the sort of biotechnology corridor that exist now, most prominently in San Diego and around Cambridge, Massachusetts.  “It”™s a very competitive field,” Dworkin said. “A variety of regions around the United States want to attract biotech business, because they are good employers providing good jobs and and it”™s perceived as a growth industry.”?But this area”™s prospects are promising. “If Westchester makes good public policy decisions, it is well positioned to see continued growth in the biotech-areas,” said Dworkin. The existing mix of small startups and larger firms creates a “clinical pipeline,” he said, noting the ability to expand if a company succeeds is a major consideration in sighting decisions.
The proximity to talented medical practitioners in New York City is a major lure. “There is an advantage being in an area that has many institutions of higher learning where you can recruit help,” Dworkin said. “It”™s beneficial being in a large and sophisticated labor market”
Representatives from the biotechnology world discussed matters with officials from state and county governments seeking economic development at the confab. Representatives from Empire State Development Corp. and the state Department of Labor were joined by officials from Con Ed and Orange & Rockland Utilities Inc. and the Westchester and Rockland counties”™ executives, among others.
The message from business is to think big and act creatively, said Joanne Deyo, vice president of facilties for Regeneron, who attended the conference. “We”™re really looking at the Hudson Valley as a cluster,” she said after the meeting, “The entire Hudson Valley beyond Westchester is potentially part of a biotech cluster.”
While growth so far is encouraging, said Deyo, the region is not yet on the radar of many biotech companies as they seek locales. She said a coordinated effort will be necessary to bring biotech recognition and jobs to the region.
“Part of the job for the Hudson Valley Economic Development Corp. and Empire State Development is promotion and publicity, they need to make it second nature, so that when people think of  biotech, they think of the Hudson Valley,” she said.
“The industry is critical to the regional economy and to the future of New York state,” said Mike Oates, President and CEO of HVEDC. “Together, we will work to ensure that this cluster gets the support and attention it requires to grow.” He said HVEDC is beginning a campaign targeted toward some 300 biotech firms globally, extolling the advantages of the Hudson Valley.
“Emerging sectors like biotechnology generate new businesses and jobs that are integral to our economy,” said Rockland County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef. “So I look forward to working together with my colleagues in the region to assist and advance this important cluster.”
“We have a rapidly expanding biotech cluster in the region, but creating a sustainable level of growth for generating new jobs and creating additional revenues will require additional help,” said Westchester County Executive Robert Astorino. “This roundtable discussion was the beginning of the discussion, not the end.”
