ven in the face of huge budget shortfalls, Arizona Gov. Jane Hull early this spring asked the legislature for an additional $5 million in incentives as part of a package to lure an international biotechnology project, The International Genomics Consortium (IGC), to Arizona.
        "This is one case where we can't be shortsighted," noted Gov. Hull. "Although we face tough economic choices, we must show our commitment to bringing the consortium here. This is a visionary project, and the potential for the return of our investment is huge."
        The project is a major plank in the state's platform for the future, a future being sorted out by the Statewide Economic Study, a partnership project among Arizona's universities, major utilities, and key state agencies to determine target industries for the state's development energies. Gov. Hull has appointed a 63-member Leadership Council of business and civic leaders to help shape the effort, and recently named Philadephia-based Economy.com as lead consultant. No doubt some of the data they compile will point to bioscience as a key cluster.
        The IGC would be an independent center devoted to genomics research and its medical applications. Currently part of the organization is working out of space in Scottsdale, researching profiles of cancer tissues. The investment of the center would be a boost to the Arizona economy and a magnet for additional investment. "We can also attract new outstanding faculty to Arizona," says Chris Herstam, a regent and head of government relations at Lewis and Roca, a Phoenix-based law firm. "We can increase the grant dollars to the universities and from an economic development standpoint, we can bring new biomedical industry to Arizona."
        Business leaders agree, and have begun to assemble support networks and associations to attract biomedical research and development to the desert southwest.
        Meanwhile, Arizona voters approved a recent measure, Proposition 301, to commit sales tax revenues, an estimated $250 million, to biotech initiatives at the University of Arizona, Northern Arizona University and Arizona State University.
        In turn, the universities are creating a cooperative public/private organization focusing on biomedical and bioscience, The Arizona Bioscience and Biomedicine Institutes (ABBI). Economic development officials across the state expect the measure to create numerous opportunities for commercial interests and new jobs.
        "The opportunity for the three universities to combine their strengths in a complementary way will make Arizona a recognized leader in the field of bioscience and biotechnology," says Lattie F. Corr, Ph.D. and president of Arizona State University. "Working together will enable the state to be on the leading edge of both education and research."
        PricewaterhouseCoopers estimates the cost of the project's first five years at $120 million.
        "PricewaterhouseCoopers is helping us understand the level of investment required to attract key players in bioindustry to our state," says director of the Arizona Department of Commerce Margie A. Emmermann, who notes that sources for approximately $75 million have been identified.