INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana Secretary of Commerce David Rosenberg returned from an international economic development trip this weekend after traveling to the United Kingdom and Italy to advance Indiana’s global leadership in the future economy and high-growth sectors like life sciences.
In London, Sec. Rosenberg and the delegation, including BioCrossroads CEO and President Vince Wong and Conexus Indiana Chief Operating and Strategy Officer Bryce Carpenter, highlighted Indiana’s robust life sciences ecosystem and pursued opportunities to advance sector-focused partnerships surrounding Genesis 2024, an annual conference in London convening life science opinion leaders and stakeholders. London has been named the best city in Europe and third in the world regarding life sciences.
During the conference, the delegation joined representatives of Eli Lilly & Company, Cancer Research UK, and Mathys & Squire at an investor-focused event where the secretary and Vince Wong represented Indiana on a panel discussion led by Tony Jones, CEO of One Nucleus – a Cambridge- and London-based membership organization for international life science and healthcare companies and the host of Genesis 2024 – to highlight life science innovation and the state’s world-class diagnostic, pharmaceutical and orthopedic ecosystem.
At Genesis 2024, Sec. Rosenberg participated in a fireside chat to discuss the life sciences sector’s global landscape and Indiana’s increasingly central role. Indiana ranks No. 1 in the U.S. for pharmaceutical exports and No. 2 for overall life sciences exports, selling $37 billion worth of goods and contributing $95 billion in economic impact to the state in 2023.
In London, the delegation also met with the leadership of MedCity, the cluster organization for London’s health and life sciences sector, to discuss opportunities to foster international collaboration in life sciences innovation, industry, and talent development.
Sec. Rosenberg and the delegation also met with U.S. and UK government and industry leaders, including representatives of the U.S. Embassy London, the UK Department for Business and Trade, and Scotland House London – a collaboration between the Scottish Government, Scottish Enterprise, Visit Scotland and Highlands and Islands Enterprise – to discuss the strong Indiana-UK partnership and continued Indiana-UK MOU initiatives. Indiana was the first U.S. state to sign an MOU with the UK post-Brexit. Indiana is home to 101 UK-based business facilities, while the UK hosts operations of 22 Indiana-based businesses. More than $3.83 billion worth of goods were exchanged between the two regions in 2023.
In Italy, the delegation met with senior officials of the Lombardy region, including President Attilio Fontana, in Milan to discuss Indiana’s strong ties with the region’s government, academia, and industry. President Fontana and Governor Eric J. Holcomb (remotely) signed the memorandum of understanding to develop further economic, academic and cultural ties between Indiana and Lombardy and to create a framework for future collaboration in areas like life sciences, motorsports, the future of mobility and AI.
Sec. Rosenberg and the delegation visited the Polytechnic University of Milan to tour the labs of PoliMOVE, the university’s engineering team that participates in the Indy Autonomous Challenge, which challenges university teams from around the world to advance technology that can speed the commercialization of fully autonomous vehicles and deployments of advanced driver-assistance systems to increase safety and performance. The Polytechnic University of Milan and leaders at the Indy Autonomous Challenge were key in advancing the Indiana-Lombardy relationship and encouraged both governments to explore an official MOU.
In Milan, the delegation also visited Assolombarda, Italy’s largest territorial association for the entire entrepreneurial system, to meet with its R&D department, member companies, hubs, and universities, particularly within the life sciences space.
In Rome, the delegation met with U.S. and Italian government leaders, including representatives of the U.S. Embassy in Rome and Lazio Innova, to discuss opportunities to build on the Indiana-Italy relationship. Indiana is home to 35 Italian business facilities, including many focused on racing and the mobility supply chain, including companies like Dallara, Sirmax, Coram USA, and OMR Automotive. Indiana and Italy also share a strong trade partnership, importing and exporting more than $5.16 billion worth of goods in 2023.
About IEDC: The Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) is charged with growing the state economy, driving economic development, and helping businesses launch, grow, and be located in the state. Governed by a 14-member board chaired by Governor Eric J. Holcomb, the IEDC manages many initiatives, including performance-based tax credits, workforce training grants, innovation and entrepreneurship resources, public infrastructure assistance, and talent attraction and retention efforts. For more information about the IEDC, visit iedc.in.gov.
