Femi D-Etti, vice president of AstraZeneca’s Mount Vernon, Ind. location, and Patty Martin, CEO of BioCrossroads, interact during a fireside chat.

Purdue University, through the William D. Young Institute for Advanced Manufacturing of Pharmaceuticals, convened the 2023 Indiana Life Sciences Manufacturing Summit on March 9. Young, senior advisor at Blackstone Life Sciences, delivered the keynote, “Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Manufacturing Challenges from an Investing Perspective.”

Held in collaboration with Indiana Biosciences Research Institute and BioCrossroads, this was the second year for the event, which offered both a hybrid option and an in-person program in Indianapolis.

Alina Alexeenko, professor of aeronautics and astronautics and chemical engineering and the College of Engineering’s associate dean for undergraduate education, and David Adams, commissioner for the Indiana Department of Workforce Development, participate in one of two fireside chats at the Indiana Life Sciences Manufacturing Summit.

The summit provided an opportunity for industry, academia, state and local governments, and other relevant organizations to discuss and promote life sciences manufacturing, research, education, and business development throughout Indiana. Topics included trends, challenges, opportunities, forging global solutions with regional resources, and necessary workforce development to keep up with onshoring and emerging technologies. Special attention was given to investing in workforce development as a critical part of Indiana’s long-term strategy to bolster life sciences competitiveness. 

The event drew representatives from more than 100 organizations, including the cities of Fishers and Noblesville, Eli Lilly and Company, Conductive Technologies, Develop Indy, Indiana University, Ivy Tech Community College, Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce, Indiana Economic Development Corporation, Siemens, Rockwell Automation, and LyoWave.

Tamara Kinzer-Ursem, co-founder of the startup OmniVis, demonstrates a patented device, particle diffusometry, which scans food samples to detect contamination. At Purdue, Kinzer-Ursem is the associate head for academic programs, the Marta E. Gross Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering, and director of undergraduate programs.

Purdue speakers and panelists included Professors Alina Alexeenko, Eric Munson, and Garth Simpson, co-directors of the Young Institute, Professor Nate Milton, and Karen Plaut, executive vice president for research. Munson and Milton are faculty members in the Department of Industrial and Physical Pharmacy, while Simpson is in the Department of Chemistry.

Riccardo Butta, president of Stevanto Group, delivers a keynote address at the Purdue-sponsored Indiana Life Sciences Manufacturing Summit in Indianapolis.

David Adams, commissioner for the Indiana Department of Workforce Development, joined Alexeenko, a professor of aeronautics and astronautics and chemical engineering and the College of Engineering’s associate dean for undergraduate education, for a fireside chat, “Innovating a Workforce for Tomorrow’s Indiana.”

Another fireside chat, “Innovating a Workforce for Tomorrow’s Indiana,” was led by Femi D-Etti, vice president of AstraZeneca’s Mount Vernon, Ind. location, and Patty Martin, CEO of BioCrossroads. See the full agenda and recordings from the event.

Garth Simpson (L), professor of analytical and physical chemistry, presented Fred Regnier, the John H. Law Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, with the Indiana Life Sciences Manufacturing Inaugural Award for his continuous commitment and contributions to biomedical engineering, biotechnology, chemical engineering, and pharmaceuticals.

Riccardo Butta, president of Stevanato Group, gave the day’s final keynote, “Managing Complexity, Delivering Value.”

Simpson presented Fred E. Regnier, the John H. Law Distinguished Professor of Chemistry at Purdue, with the Indiana Life Sciences Manufacturing Inaugural Award for his continuous commitment and contributions to biomedical engineering, biotechnology, chemical engineering, and pharmaceuticals. Generally regarded as one of the world authorities on proteomics, he holds more than 40 patents, has edited two books, and published more than 300 journal articles and 70 book chapters and reviews. He is the co-founder of several companies, including BioSeparations, PerSeptive Biosystems, Beyond Genomics, Novilytic, and Perfinity Biosystems.

The summit concluded with an opportunity for businesses to promote engagement in the Indiana ecosystem. During a series of rapid fire presentations, representatives form nine companies each gave four-minute presentations outlining purpose, features, achievements, and connections. Those participating were:

Eradivir – Madduri Srinivasarao, vice president, R&D

Goodwill Commercial Services – Victor Mai, vice president of manufacturing operations

INCOG BioPharma Services – Tedd Green, co-founder and COO

Lyowave – Drew Strongrich, CEO

Neurava - Jay Shah, CEO and co-founder

Novilytic – Paul Dreier, CEO

OmniVis – Tamara Kinzer-Ursem, co-founder

Purdue Center for Regional Development – Roberto Gallardo, director

ReproHealth Technologies – James Donahue, CEO and co-founder

The next summit is scheduled for March 7, 2024.