Discovering Michigan's medical innovation

Medical innovation isn't something new to Michigan. But it has played second fiddle to the automotive industry. (In fact, most things have played second fiddle to autos.) So, more like a wounded pigeon and not a baby bird, our state should nurture medical innovation, says the Freep. It could be just another way out of this economic mess.

Excerpt:

Michigan boasts leading biotechnology companies, top medical research universities and a community of venture capitalists and government officials who embrace and support the growth of the life sciences.

Medical innovation is creating good jobs here. According to one recent study, the biopharmaceutical industry in Michigan employed more than 106,000 people in 2006, paying $2.2 billion in wages, resulting in $71.4 million in state taxes. Another report released this spring by the University Research Corridor found that more than 79,062 Michigan residents now work in the state's life sciences industry, with the average worker's salary climbing from $64,602 in 1999 to $83,494 in 2006.

Read the entire article here.