ICYMI: Pa. Governor To Get National Honor | Why BIO Is Honoring Corbett

Excerpts from the Philadelphia Business Journal

Pa. governor to get national honor
By John George
April 23, 2013

The Biotechnology Industry Organization is presenting Pa. Gov. Tom Corbett with its “2013 BIO Governor of the Year” award Tuesday.

Corbett is being honored by the Washington, D.C., trade group during its annual international convention, which is being held this week in Chicago. N.J. Gov. Christ Christie won the award last year.

BIO represents more than 1,100 biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations across the United States and in more than 30 other nations.

Presenting the award to Corbett will be Fritz Bittenbinder, vice president of alliance development and state government relations at BIO. Bittenbender is a former Cephalon executive and one-time president of Pennsylvania Bio, a statewide life sciences industry trade group now based in Wayne, Pa.

(George, John. Pa. governor to get national honor. Philadelphia Business Journal. April 23, 2013.)

Why BIO is honoring Corbett
By John George
April 23, 2013

Earlier today I wrote an item about the Biotechnology Industry Organization’s plan to present its “2013 Governor of the Year” award to Pa. Gov. Tom Corbett Tuesday during its annual international convention taking place in Chicago this week.

Here’s why he is getting the honor.

BIO, which is based in Washington, D.C., said the award is being presented to Corbett in recognition of his leadership and commitment to strengthening the biotechnology and public health sectors within Pennsylvania.

Jim Greenwood, president and CEO of BIO, said Corbett and his administration have developed and promoted programs aimed at “enhancing the business environment to support the capital intensive processes of research & development as well as growing innovation companies facing significant start-up costs.”

Those initiatives include continuing a phase-out of the state’s capital stock and franchise tax; reducing in corporate net incomes taxes; increasing the cap on net operating losses that can be carried forward; and maintaining research and development tax credits, funding for the state’s three life sciences greenhouses and funding for the he Ben Franklin Technology Partner programs.

Such programs, Greenwood said, help Pennsylvania “stand tall among our nation’s greatest biotech hubs.”

Chris Molineaux, president of Pennsylvania Bio, lauded Corbett for demonstrating his long-term commitment to the industry by assembling a life sciences task force comprised of industry, academia, trade organizations and other to develop policy recommendations to help the sector grow. Molineaux also noted the state’s “Discovered in Pennsylvania, Developed in Pennsylvania” program has helped life sciences organizations establish and anchor their operations in the state.

In a prepared statement, Corbett said, “This recognition from the Biotechnology Industry Organization acknowledges the relentless effort my administration is putting forth to strengthen and further build the life sciences industry in Pennsylvania. By supporting initiatives that stimulate growth within the industry — from helping entrepreneurs quickly transform ideas into commercial products to supporting the establishment and expansion of biotech companies — we are ensuring the biotech economy will continue to grow and flourish in Pennsylvania.”

(George, John. Why BIO is honoring Corbett. Philadelphia Business Journal. April 23, 2013.)