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life sciences ecosystem Archives - BioHealth Innovation

Jun 04 2026
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Registration Now Open for the 2026 BioHealth Capital Region Forum and Investment Conference

By News

Registration is now open for the 12th Annual BioHealth Capital Region Forum and BioHealth Capital Region Investment Conference, taking place September 15th, 16th, and 17th, 2026, at US Pharmacopeia (USP) in Rockville, Maryland.

This year’s BioHealth Capital Region Week theme, “Growing the BioHealth Capital Region of Tomorrow,” reflects the region’s continued focus on collaboration, commercialization, investment, and leadership during a time of change and opportunity across the biohealth ecosystem.

The BioHealth Capital Region Forum will be held September 15th and 16th and will bring together leaders from industry, academia, government, investment, and entrepreneurship for two days of high-level discussion, regional updates, thought leadership, and networking. The Forum continues to serve as a central gathering point for the people, companies, institutions, and public-sector partners helping shape the future of biohealth across Maryland, Washington, D.C., Virginia, and beyond.

Attendees can expect conversations focused on the region’s growth, the future of biohealth innovation, investment trends, commercialization pathways, infrastructure, talent, artificial intelligence, public-private collaboration, and the forces shaping the next chapter of the BioHealth Capital Region.

Register for the Forum here:
https://bit.ly/BHCRWEEK2026

Important Registration Note: Attendees who want to participate in both the BioHealth Capital Region Forum and the BioHealth Capital Region Investment Conference must register for each event separately.

The Investment Conference uses a separate registration process because it is designed around company-investor engagement. Companies seeking investment and investors looking to meet with emerging biohealth companies are asked to provide additional information that helps support company visibility, investor review, partnering, and more targeted connections throughout the day.

The BioHealth Capital Region Investment Conference will take place on Thursday, September 17th. This focused program brings together investors, entrepreneurs, emerging biohealth companies, strategic partners, and ecosystem leaders for a day centered on capital formation, company presentations, networking, and meaningful business development opportunities.

Companies developing new technologies across therapeutics, diagnostics, medical devices, digital health, AI-enabled biohealth, research tools, and other areas of life sciences innovation are encouraged to register. Investors looking to connect with promising companies from across the region and beyond should also sign up through the Investment Conference registration page.

Register for the Investment Conference here:
https://bit.ly/BHCRIC2026

Applications are also now being accepted for the BioHealth Capital Region Crab Trap Competition, which returns as part of BioHealth Capital Region Week. The Crab Trap Competition highlights promising early-stage biohealth companies and gives selected entrepreneurs the opportunity to pitch live in front of experienced investors, industry leaders, subject matter experts, and regional ecosystem partners. The BioHealth Capital Region Crab Trap Competition will take place on Wednesday, September 16th.

Five finalists will be selected to present during BioHealth Capital Region Week. Each finalist will deliver a seven-minute company presentation, followed by a three-minute question-and-answer session with the judges. Prize details, including cash and services, will be announced soon.

Apply for the Crab Trap Competition here:
https://bit.ly/CrabTrap2026

BioHealth Capital Region Week continues to be one of the region’s most important gatherings for advancing collaboration, showcasing innovation, and connecting the people and organizations building the future of biohealth. Whether you are an entrepreneur, investor, researcher, executive, public-sector leader, service provider, or ecosystem partner, this is a key opportunity to be part of the conversation and the connections that will shape what comes next.

Register now and join us September 15th, 16th, and 17th at USP in Rockville, Maryland.

Jun 02 2026
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GEN Names BioHealth Capital Region a Top 3 U.S. Biopharma Cluster for Fourth Year in a Row

By News

The BioHealth Capital Region, spanning Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., has once again been named one of the nation’s Top 3 biopharma clusters by Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (GEN), marking the region’s fourth consecutive year in the Top 3.

GEN’s 2026 “Top 10 U.S. Biopharma Clusters” ranking was authored by Alex Philippidis, Senior Business Editor at GEN, who has long tracked the growth, competition, and evolution of life sciences ecosystems across the country. Philippidis will return to the BioHealth Capital Region Forum this year to discuss GEN’s updated Top 10 list, the movement within the national rankings, and what the latest findings suggest about the future of U.S. biopharma innovation.

In the 2026 ranking, GEN places the BioHealth Capital Region at No. 3 nationally, behind only Boston/Cambridge and the San Francisco Bay Area. The full article is available here: https://www.genengnews.com/topics/drug-discovery/top-10-u-s-biopharma-clusters-2026/

The recognition reinforces the region’s standing among the country’s strongest life sciences ecosystems and reflects the depth of its research institutions, federal assets, industry base, talent, lab infrastructure, and commercialization capacity.

Recognition carries special meaning for a region that set a public goal years ago to become a Top 3 biopharma cluster. Reaching that milestone was significant. Maintaining it for four consecutive years shows that the BioHealth Capital Region has moved beyond aspiration and into sustained national leadership.

GEN’s annual ranking evaluates U.S. biopharma clusters using five core indicators: NIH funding, venture capital funding, patents, lab space, and jobs. In the 2025 ranking, the BioHealth Capital Region ranked first nationally in biotechnology-related patents and third in both NIH funding and lab space, helping secure its Top 3 position despite broader economic and industry headwinds.

For the BioHealth Capital Region, this continued recognition by GEN is a proof point for the power of regional collaboration. Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. each bring distinct strengths to the ecosystem, but the region’s national competitiveness is strongest when those assets are connected. The presence of NIH, FDA, NIST, USP, major research universities, leading health systems, established biopharma companies, emerging startups, investors, and commercialization partners gives the region a differentiated role in advancing biohealth innovation.

“Being ranked Top 3 by GEN for the fourth year in a row is a moment to celebrate across the entire BioHealth Capital Region.” Said Rich Bendis, Founder, President and CEO of BioHealth Innovation, Inc. “Congratulations to the many partners across Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. who have helped make this possible, including our companies, universities, federal institutions, economic development organizations, investors, entrepreneurs, and ecosystem leaders. This recognition reflects years of collaboration and a shared commitment to growing one of the nation’s leading biohealth clusters.”

The 2026 GEN ranking also comes at an important moment for the industry. Cluster development is being shaped by national trends, including renewed capital activity, increased merger and acquisition activity, a revived IPO market, and continued investment in U.S.-based biomanufacturing. Those trends are highly relevant to the BioHealth Capital Region, where research strength, proximity to federal labs, manufacturing growth, and translational support continue to define the ecosystem’s value.

GEN’s 2026 Top 10 also showed movement among several other regions compared with 2025. The Top 3 remained unchanged, with Boston/Cambridge, the San Francisco Bay Area, and the BioHealth Capital Region holding their positions. Greater Philadelphia moved from No. 7 in 2025 to No. 5 in 2026, while North Carolina moved from No. 8 to No. 7. Chicagoland moved from No. 10 to No. 9. San Diego shifted from No. 5 to No. 6, Los Angeles/Orange County moved from No. 6 to No. 8, and Seattle moved from No. 9 to No. 10.

The full GEN 2026 Top 10 includes:

  1. Boston/Cambridge, MA
  2. San Francisco Bay Area
  3. BioHealth Capital Region, Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.
  4. New York/New Jersey
  5. Greater Philadelphia
  6. San Diego
  7. North Carolina
  8. Los Angeles/Orange County, CA
  9. Chicagoland
  10. Seattle

For the BioHealth Capital Region, the fourth consecutive Top 3 ranking in GEN is both a recognition and a call to action. It confirms that the region has the assets, talent, and infrastructure to compete with the largest life sciences hubs in the country. It also underscores the need to keep building: more company formation, more access to capital, more lab and manufacturing capacity, more workforce development, and more collaboration.

Jan 26 2026
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Thanking Jarrod Borkat and Rachel Rath for Their Service on the BioHealth Innovation Board

By News

BioHealth Innovation extends its sincere thanks to Jarrod Borkat, Chief Commercial and Strategy Officer at On Demand Pharmaceuticals, and Rachel Rath, Head of JLABS @ Washington DC, for their dedicated service on the Board of Directors.

Throughout their tenure, both leaders brought a steady, thoughtful presence to the board and helped strengthen the organization’s role within the BioHealth Capital Region. Their perspectives, grounded in deep industry experience and regional engagement, supported informed decision-making and reinforced a shared commitment to advancing innovation across the ecosystem.

Jarrod Borkat’s career spans senior commercial, strategy, and partnership roles across the biopharmaceutical sector. His experience building large-scale collaborations among industry, academia, and government brought practical insight to board discussions, particularly around commercialization pathways and cross-sector engagement. His long-standing involvement in the region reflects a consistent belief in collaboration as a foundation for sustainable growth.

During his time with MedImmune and AstraZeneca, Jarrod played a key role in advancing the BioHealth Capital Region (BHCR) brand and strengthening its national profile. He was also a strong advocate for BioHealth Innovation expanding its footprint into Washington, DC, and Virginia, helping foster a more integrated regional ecosystem. In addition, he served on the Board’s Executive Committee, where his strategic perspective supported organizational growth and transition.

Rachel Rath provided a complementary lens shaped by her leadership at one of the region’s most active innovation platforms. Her work evaluating and accelerating early-stage companies, along with prior experience supporting national health security and clinical research initiatives, informed the board’s understanding of emerging technologies and the needs of founders navigating complex development environments.

“Jarrod and Rachel have been exceptional board members and trusted partners,” said Rich Bendis, Founder, President, and CEO of BioHealth Innovation. “Their leadership, insight, and commitment to the BioHealth Capital Region have made a lasting impact. We are grateful for their service and for the time and expertise they so generously shared.”

BioHealth Innovation wishes both leaders continued success and looks forward to their ongoing contributions to the region’s innovation community.

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