As we wrap up 2022, we look forward to another year of supporting our member’s critical work-saving patients. Since 2019 our community has grown by 4.5%, while private industry in the state has decreased by 4.8%.
We made highlighting this growth our #1 goal for 2022. iBIO invested in communications and outreach for our community resulting in 35 articles over the past year in local and national publications with an audience of over 2 million readers.
Here are some other highlights from the past year:
Springfield:
- Illinois committed $5 million to fund and launch the Illinois SBIR Matching Program.
- Opposed and testified on legislation that would impact our members’ operations in Illinois
- Passed resolutions declaring Rare Disease Day in Illinois. Raising awareness of rare diseases, supporting individuals and families who struggle with rare diseases, and bringing attention to the need for research and funding to support the discovery and development of therapies designed to treat and potentially cure rare diseases.
Washington DC:
- Hosted a roundtable discussion with CMS Director Meena Seshamani allowing iBIO Members to provide input on implementing the Inflation Reduction Act.
- Hosted roundtables with Illinois congressional offices and delivered a letter co-signed by more than 70 Illinois organizations supporting the extension of the Federal SBIR/STTR program.
- Moderated a national joint panel with AdvaMed and BIO on SBIR Reauthorization.
STEM Programming
- STEM Kits: Distributed 6,353 STEM Kits to 1,596 students for a total of 12,000 kits delivered since program inception.
- Hosted the Illinois BioGENEius Competition and nominated the Illinois representative for the International competition.
- Welcomed 87 girls and 134 family members to our first in-person STEMgirls camp since 2019
- Trained STEMKAMP teachers to provide STEMgirls curriculum to 1,459 children of active military personnel in 10 states through the US Department of Defense grant.
Community
- On July 21st, iBIO hosted the second Illinois Life Sciences Showcase featuring 20 company presentations for 200 attendees.
- Sixty-six iBIO Members leveraged our partnership with the BIO Business Solutions program to save more than $4.6 million on Lab Supplies and Equipment.
- Our Daily NewsBrief readership continues to grow, increasing by 89% in 2022. This past year the NewsBrief highlighted more than 5,000 articles about our members, the local ecosystem, and national industry trends.
All of this would not have been possible without the support of our members. In 2023 we look forward to working with our members on new initiatives to build a more resilient and inclusive life sciences community in Illinois. In January we will be launching iBIO Connect, an ecosystem map enabling startups and ecosystem partners to connect and engage with the right community resources to fuel their growth, including investors, universities, mentoring programs, networking groups, training programs and more. We will also roll out a new slate of programming in 2023, providing opportunities for our members to connect and engage with ecosystem partners. Check out our sponsorship prospectus for 2023.
All of us at iBIO want to wish you a happy, warm, and joyful holiday season. Your dedication and commitment to the community shine through in all that you do. Thank you for your hard work! We hope you’re taking a relaxing break to cherish what matters most.
Happy Holidays and Have a Happy New Year.
John Conrad