SANTA FE, NM, June 29 – Santa Fe has received bronze-level certification for a “Community Ready” bioscience site from the New Mexico Bioscience Authority (NMBSA), thanks to the City of Santa Fe Office of Economic Development’s work with the non-profit Santa Fe Business Incubator (SFBI). The bronze certification is an introductory level that supports the city in its ongoing commitment to the bioscience industry and includes promotion of Santa Fe and SFBI on the NMBSA website, social media, and at national and international bioscience trade shows.

“Getting bronze-certified as a Community Ready bioscience site is a great first step to shepherd future bioscience industry growth in the city of Santa Fe,” said Rich Brown, Community and Economic Development Director. “Developing a robust bioscience industry helps us build on the success of local life science businesses as well as attract new businesses and talent to diversify our economy.”

The Office of Economic Development funds SFBI to assist in the development of businesses and entrepreneurs in multiple industries, including bioscience. SFBI hosts several bioscience businesses and provides start-up bioscience companies with access to laboratories and other industry-specific workspaces. Thanks to SFBI’s rapid prototyping laboratory, a local company recently prototyped an enclosure for an AI-enabled anesthesia-syringe-labeling machine. SFBI partners with the Fab Lab Hub to train operators and technicians for jobs using “New Collar” tools like robotics and 3D printing, and they have also collaborated with Biogen and MIT in Cambridge to develop wet lab technician training.

These and other local initiatives lay the foundation for a thriving bioscience industry in Santa Fe. Santa Fe Community College (SFCC) is preparing students for bioscience careers through certification courses and hands-on projects like algae cultivation for mine cleaning. The proximity of Los Alamos National Laboratories has also fostered a cutting-edge-technology pipeline from LANL researchers to bioscience companies in the area. With increased involvement in SFBI programs and other actions like passing specific bioscience legislation and zoning to create a bioscience hub, the Office of Economic Development hopes to recertify to a higher level with NMBSA in the future.

The New Mexico Bioscience Authority is a public-private partnership consisting of state government agencies, research institutions, national laboratories, and private industry in New Mexico. NMBSA was created in 2017 with the passing of the Bioscience Development Act and works to create programming to expand bioscience economic opportunities, as well as establish more local bioscience industries in the state.