The Michigan Life Science Network, an organization founded earlier this year to help bolster its state’s life sciences sector, is launching two new companies to attract business to local medical device and pharma companies. The goal is to facilitate communication with businesses outside of Michigan that are interested in tapping the state’s resources.
The two virtual companies are actually databases, comprised of relevant information about the region’s companies — contact information, services offered, specialty areas, working styles, etc. There will be one database for the medical device industry, called The Michigan Virtual Medical Device Company, LLC, and one for pharmaceutical companies, The Michigan Virtual BioPharma Company, LLC.
To help communicate the breadth of Michigan’s life sciences resources, each database initially will be presented as a 10-foot-tall organizational chart at the MichBio Expo annual convention being held next week in Lansing, MI. Companies will be asked to attach their business cards to the areas of the chart where their services are most relevant.
“We want the shock of seeing the whole company,” said Michael Debiak, president of Michigan Life Science Network. (Continued below)
Once the basic org charts are built, Michigan Life Science Network will begin filling out files on all participating companies, and compiling them into an online database. The databases also will have a “wiki” function, whereby individual companies can offer expertise on industry topics or specialty areas.
Practically speaking, the two databases will serve as a tool for attracting business to Michigan’s life sciences companies. A visiting organization from Japan in search of a commercialization partner, for example, would have an efficient way of accessing all Michigan companies with expertise in that field. When there are multiple companies within Michigan that offer the same services, Michigan Life Science Network will organize a vetting process to find the most appropriate fit.
“These new LLCs will pull together the knowledge and qualifications of the 600-plus human life science companies scattered across the state and organize them into a functional cooperative full service pharmaceutical company and full service device company for the first time and then, market them across the nation and the world,” said Debiak.
Michigan Life Science Network is a membership-free organization, so companies do not have to pay to be part of either Michigan Virtual Medical Device Company or Michigan Virtual BioPharma Company. The organization will charge fees for serving as a liaison between local companies and those seeking their services.