Long Island’s ambition to become a hub for life sciences faced a setback when OSI Pharmaceuticals relocated in 2009. At the time, the late Matthew Crosson criticized the region for lacking the necessary focus, coordination, and investment to develop a thriving industry. Despite significant efforts since, progress has been slow.
This year, however, signs of change have emerged. Estee Lauder has become the new anchor tenant at Farmingdale State College’s Broadhollow Bioscience Park, and Dan Polner has been appointed as the park’s executive director. Governor Kathy Hochul recently announced the first grants from the $350 million Long Island Investment Fund, including $10 million for Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research to expand its labs. An additional $50 million is set aside for a life sciences competition aimed at growing local startups.
The challenge now is to improve coordination among key institutions, such as Brookhaven National Laboratory, Stony Brook University, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, and Northwell Health. Dan Polner envisions constructing a new facility on Broadhollow’s remaining land, but achieving success will require a unified effort to turn Long Island’s life sciences potential into reality.
Read the full article on Newsday by Randi F. Marshall here: https://www.newsday.com/opinion/columnists/randi-f-marshall/life-sciences-long-island-labs-tft8zf5e