New Orleans BioInnovation Center heads to Atlanta

The New Orleans BioInnovation Center is headed to Atlanta in hopes of bringing some former Louisianans home. For the fourth year, the bioscience business incubator is taking a team of researchers and economic development recruiters to the Bio International Convention to try to convince ex-pats and others to come to work in the industry in South Louisiana. It’s a particularly critical mission right now. “In previous years we’ve kind of taken the approach that we’ll sit at the booth and try to do our best with the traffic,” says Executive Director Aaron Miscenich. “But we’re trying to be more aggressive about getting our name out there this time.” That’s because the need for biotech workers is more pronounced than ever before. The BioInnovation Center itself is building a 66,000-square-foot wet-lab business incubator on Canal Street in downtown New Orleans. A $102 million, 175,000-square-foot Cancer Research Center – designed to foster cross-collaboration among the city’s major medical universities – is on the way. And two major hospitals – the Veteran’s Administration and the LSU academic teaching hospital – are in the works. And all of them need workers. “Life sciences across the state are growing by fantastic amounts,” Miscenich says. “Labor workforce shortages were the No. 1 issue before the storms. Now it’s an even bigger issue.” The delegation typically encounters potential employees who still think much of South Louisiana is still drying out from the hurricanes. Their goal is to convince them otherwise. On May 19, they’re hosting “Bio Boom New Orleans,” a networking party for Crescent City graduates now living and working in Atlanta. – Penny Font