NASHVILLE–Alabama Governor Robert Bentley will be joined by HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology Co-Founder Jim Hudson at the 
Summer Meeting of the National Governor’s Association today in Nashville.
Governor Bentley, who currently serves as chair of NGA’s Economic Development and Commerce Committee, will highlight Alabama’s strategic economic development plan with other state governors at the event.
“Alabama’s economic development plan is unique and has enabled our state to strategically recruit new industries, create jobs and foster a business climate so small and medium enterprises can compete in global markets,” Governor Bentley said. “During the committee meeting, we have a special opportunity to showcase Alabama’s efforts, and I look forward to sharing those efforts with other state governors at the meeting.”
The strategic plan, Accelerate Alabama, was put into place early in the Bentley Administration. The plan targets 11 business sectors and focuses on three economic drivers: recruitment of new industry, retention and expansion of existing business and renewal by creating jobs through innovation, entrepreneurship, commercialization and research and development.
Governor Bentley will share Alabama’s success in the field of job creation through innovation and research and development. His remarks will focus on the state’s efforts to reward innovative businesses that have the potential to create and expand jobs in Alabama. Hudson will join Governor Bentley for a roundtable discussion.
“I am honored to join Governor Bentley in sharing the story of HudsonAlpha, an innovative model of public-private partnership that is improving lives and creating jobs in Alabama,” Hudson said. “While there are many areas in which HudsonAlpha partners with the state, one example is the childhood genetic disorders project, which will benefit children and families through out Alabama. Ultimately, this landmark project will establish Alabama as a leader in genomic medicine while making a difference in countless lives and saving millions of dollars in healthcare costs.”
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About HudsonAlpha: HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology is a nonprofit institute dedicated to innovating in the field of genomic technology and sciences across a spectrum of biological problems. Its mission is three-fold: sparking scientific discoveries that can impact human health and well-being; fostering biotech entrepreneurship; and encouraging the creation of a genomics-literate workforce and society. The HudsonAlpha biotechnology campus consists of 152 acres nestled within Cummings Research Park, the nation’s second largest research park. Designed to be a hothouse of biotech economic development, HudsonAlpha’s state-of-the-art facilities co-locate scientific researchers with entrepreneurs and educators. The relationships formed on the HudsonAlpha campus allow serendipity to yield results in medicine and agriculture. Since opening in 2008, HudsonAlpha, under the leadership of Dr. Richard M. Myers, a key collaborator on the Human Genome Project, has built a name for itself in genetics and genomics research and biotech education, and boasts 27 biotech companies on campus.
