The HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology in Huntsville continues to be a major economic driver for Alabama, a recent study shows.

The study, conducted by the Center for Management & Economic Research at the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), shows since its inception, HudsonAlpha has made a $4.2 billion impact on Alabama’s economy, with nearly a billion of that coming over the past two years.

The overall amount of $4.2 billion ($5 billion adjusted to 2022 dollars) reflects the economic activity from the nonprofit HudsonAlpha Institute and resident associated companies located on its campus from inception in 2006 through the end of 2022. HudsonAlpha increased its economic impact by 31% over the past two years, to $484 million and $505 million in 2021 and 2022, respectively.

“HudsonAlpha continues to produce for the state of Alabama,” said Gov. Kay Ivey. “HudsonAlpha is adding jobs to compete in the innovation economy, providing our educators the highest quality tools and techniques to teach the workforce of tomorrow, and making scientific discoveries in the world of genomics to help all of us live better lives. We are proud of what HudsonAlpha is doing for our great state.”

According to the report, 1,590 jobs were tied directly to HudsonAlpha and its resident associated companies in 2022. With an additional 1,095 indirect and induced (multiplier) jobs, the total impact is 2,685 jobs. Job growth on the HudsonAlpha campus increased at an annual rate of 17% since 2006, with employment in multiple sectors of the bioscience industry, including research, pharmaceuticals, medical testing, medical devices and agriculture.

“During the past few years, we have seen certain areas of our economy slow down,” said co-founder Jim Hudson. “So when I see HudsonAlpha’s increase in momentum, I am particularly proud and humbled. Every day, people on our biotech campus work to solve important problems in human health and agriculture. I am thankful for their efforts and those around the state who have supported us since Lonnie (McMillian) and I started HudsonAlpha.”

The HudsonAlpha biotech campus is growing, with the opening of the global headquarters of Discovery Life Sciences slated for later this year. That project will complete a dual-purpose biotech campus expansion. Last July, HudsonAlpha’s Center for Plant Science and Sustainable Agriculture opened its state-of-the-art greenhouse and learning labs, enhancing and expanding the institute’s ability to study crops and educate the next generation of plant scientists and agricultural innovators. The growth on the campus has contributed to a cumulative $264 million in capital expenditures.

“Before Lonnie and Jim founded HudsonAlpha, our area’s biosciences industry had a relatively small impact on the state’s economy,” said Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle. “As this report shares, there is no doubt of HudsonAlpha’s continued contribution to Alabama as a whole and in making Huntsville a ‘Smart City.’”

Officials in 2021 mark the beginning of an expansion project to add two facilities to the Hudson Alpha Institute for Biotechnology in Huntsville: a new global headquarters for Discovery Life Sciences and a lab and greenhouse building for the institute’s Center for Plant Science and Sustainable Agriculture. (contributed)

Dr. Neil Lamb, now president of HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, explains how the COVID-19 coronavirus spreads and things people can do to prevent becoming infected as part of a public information campaign during the early days of the pandemic. (HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology)

Scientists confer in a laboratory at the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, which has done groundbreaking work in genomics. (HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology)

(contributed)

Scientists use an Illumina NovaSeq sequencer at the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology in Huntsville. (contributed)

Almost 50 companies have chosen the HudsonAlpha biotech campus for lab, collaboration and office space in an entrepreneurial bioscience ecosystem. The report compiled data provided by HudsonAlpha and many resident associated companies, including employment, revenues, payroll, spending and capital expenditures. Direct impact includes the total expenditures of all entities. Multiplier impacts are those related to direct activity but occurring elsewhere in the economy.

“We at HudsonAlpha are excited about the future,” said HudsonAlpha President Neil Lamb. “HudsonAlpha is driven to make an impact in multiple areas, and we are honored to have contributed billions to the state since 2006. We are proud to partner with so many organizations, both public and private, and look forward to collectively making Alabama the best it can be.”