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Ohio's bioscience organization changes name

Omeris, Ohio’s bioscience membership and development organization, today announced it will change its name to BioOhio. A new logo with a stylized shape of the State of Ohio also was publicly launched today. The changes become effective immediately.

BioOhio President & CEO Tony Dennis said the name BioOhio will build more effective branding outside of Ohio for the statewide organization responsible for attracting out-of-state company relocations and capital investment for emerging entrepreneurial companies. BioOhio recently received a three-year, $1.5 million grant from Ohio’s Third Frontier Commission to recruit cutting-edge bioscience companies from around the world.

“The bioscience industry in Ohio is growing very rapidly and maturing into a significant portion of the GDP of the state. The increasing numbers and success of Ohio’s bioscience companies and research institutions have captured the attention of the global bioscience industry,” Dennis said. “Ohio has become a destination for bioscience business and innovation. Since we’ve contributed to this progress, we feel it’s time for our organization’s identity to embody our product, bioscience in the State of Ohio.”

“It’s always been very important to us to create a sense of community and collaboration among Ohio’s bioscience companies, entrepreneurs, researchers, educators, and students,” Dennis added. “The name BioOhio better represents the bioscience community in Ohio.”

More than 750 bioscience-related entities are operating in Ohio, ranging from the very large to the very young. BioOhio will continue to focus on adding to this number through company recruitment and formation. In 2006 alone, more than 40 companies were either launched or recruited within Ohio’s borders, including Amylin Pharmaceuticals, one of the fastest growing biopharmaceutical companies in the world. Bioscience-related entities include those involved in research, development, manufacturing and marketing of pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, bioinformatics, medical devices, medical equipment, and other health-related products.

Ohio’s bioscience community is familiar with the BioOhio moniker, since it has served as the name of the organization’s annual bioscience educational and networking conference for more than 15 years.

Founded in 1987 as Edison BioTechnology Center, BioOhio is a non-profit organization designed to build and accelerate bioscience industry, research, and education in Ohio. Headquartered in Columbus, BioOhio is supported by the Thomas Edison Program of the Ohio Department of Development and contributions from its 235 members. BioOhio regional business development affiliates are located in Athens (Edison Biotechnology Institute), Cincinnati (BIO/START), Cleveland (BioEnterprise), and Columbus (TechColumbus).

BioOhio is the official Ohio affiliate of BIO, the national organization that represents biotechnology companies in the U.S. and in 33 other nations. BioOhio also is affiliated with AdvaMed, the national medical device organization.

The organization’s web address will change to www.BioOhio.com, but address and phone numbers will remain the same.