NY BIO IN ACTION: Building a Database of Bio Assets

Last March, NY Loves Bio began collecting multimedia profiles of private companies and other organizations working in or serving the field of bioscience in New York State. Documenting New York State’s bioscience assets is a critical part of our initiative because in order to compete effectively with other states and countries vying for economic growth in this high-tech area, the state must first communicate what it has now in terms of assets. Bio companies seek out locations that have proximity to world-class science with links to universities and research facilities, access to a skilled labor force, and excellent quality of life factors, such as schools, affordable housing, safety and culture — all strong selling points for NYS. The NYLB Asset Database shows this activity on interactive maps and tells the stories of individual companies and organizations through detailed editorial profiles that also display multiple images and video about the organization.

Unlike many Web-based databases that list limited contact information for members only, the NY Loves Bio Asset Database is free, all-inclusive, and open to any entity that has a connection to bioscience in NY. That means all of NY’s service providers who can help businesses expand or locate in NY, such as economic development organizations, tech parks, clean rooms, and business incubators. “We want to capture as broad a spectrum of bio-related business and service organizations as possible,” explained Brian McMahon, executive director of New York State Economic Development Council, whose organization coordinates NYLB. “In just the first 10 weeks or so of development we were able to capture about 300 entries from throughout the state, but we have a long way to go.”

The NYLB Asset Database was unveiled at BIO International in June. “Right now, this database drives our new interactive, touch-screen kiosk,” said Deborah Flack, marketing director for the initiative. “Visitors will be able to browse through every region of the state — drilling down for more detail on private companies, research centers, academic programs, state and local incentives, venture capital, and much more as they scroll through what the Empire State has to offer in this exciting industry sector. The system even allows visitors to provide contact information so we can send out more information on their areas of interest.

“While we continue to expand the number of profiles in the database, we’re already planning the next phase of development, which will make the same comprehensive data available on the Internet,” said Flack. “With your help, we can create a dynamic and extraordinary tool that will showcase all the organizations working in NY’s bioscience sector.”

To create a profile, www.nybioregister.net.