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South Dakota touts a growing biotechnology and life sciences industry sector. The Mount Rushmore
State boasts strength in agricultural research, fine academic institutions, no corporate income tax,
and low costs of living and doing business.
The Mount Rushmore State is home to an increasing number of biotechnology and life sciences
companies. These include Biogenetic
Services, Inc. in Brookings; North
Central Agricultural Research Laboratory (NCARL) in Brookings; Vision Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in Mitchell; BioDak, LLC in Kimball; Hematech,
Inc. in Sioux Falls; Mid-West Seed Services,
Inc. in Brookings; Poet, LLC in Sioux
Falls; Rural Technologies, Inc. in
Brookings; and Nutra-Flo Co. in Sioux City,
among others.
South Dakota’s life sciences industry benefits from organizations and state assistance. The South Dakota (SD) Biotech Association, formed in
2006, is an affiliate of the Biotechnology Industry
Organization (BIO). SD Biotech Association serves as a resource and promotion for the state’s
biotech industry and represents member companies and researchers involved in biotechnology business or
research areas such as medical science, life science, animal science, plant science, and environmental
or industrial biotechnology. The Sioux
Falls Development Foundation (SFDF) works to administer first-class industrial parks, provides
information and services for growing and relocating businesses, and coordinates economic development
strategies for the Sioux Falls region. Additionally, SFDF excels in growing the labor force by
providing an active workforce development program, representing a partnership between business and
education and by using effective marketing campaigns. The South Dakota Corn Council aids in continued growth for biotech corn production by
providing farmers with information on pressing issues and by striving to find new markets to aid the
industry. The South Dakota Experimental Program to
Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) is a grant-funded organization whose goal is to promote
research and development throughout the state, improving access to high quality education and
research, and generally aiding towards the improvement of quality of life in South Dakota. The
South Dakota Agri-Business Association promotes
safe and economical crop production within an organization of crop input professionals.
South Dakota’s academic institutions benefit the biotechnology and life science industry through
research and assistance to industry endeavors. South
Dakota State University (SDSU) is the state’s land-grant institution, and hosts the SD Agricultural Experiment Station (SDAES). The SDAES conducts research in six
themes relevant to the state: biostress, agricultural production, natural resources and their
conservation, people, biotechnology, and bio-based energy and industry. Additionally, SDSU offers its
Technology
Transfer services, including identifying and protecting intellectual property developed at the
University, implementing Board of Regents and Federal policies relevant to intellectual property,
generating revenue for the University and creators of intellectual property, ensuring public benefit
from SDSU research, and providing legal and technical assistance on intellectual property issues. The
University of South Dakota (USD) is home to research
centers such as the Center for
Infectious Disease Research and Vaccinology, in partnership with South Dakota State University;
and the Cardiovascular Research
Institute, among other vital research centers. USD also offers its Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, which aids researchers with technology
transfer assistance and education.
With benefits from private industry, academia, and state organizations, South Dakota promises
continued success in the biotechnology and life sciences industry.
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