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The next generation of leading life science regions will not be defined by scientific discovery alone. Their advantage and impact will come from the ability to move promising ideas through development, manufacturing, commercialization, and delivery.
Indiana has spent decades building those capabilities, becoming a national leader in life sciences and pharmaceutical exports. Its strengths extend across universities, research institutes, manufacturers, suppliers, healthcare systems, and communities throughout the state. Together, they form a strategically connected ecosystem with the breadth, depth, and scale to support innovation at every stage and move products from the lab to patients worldwide. That proximity matters. When intellectual property timelines are ticking, speed to market is critical.
Indiana’s rising national position is driven not by one company, institution, or scientific specialty, but by the concentration and connectivity of capabilities across the state. Those strengths span human and health, animal health, and plant science, which share common functions across the value chain. In human health, Indiana has deep capabilities in large- and small-molecule discovery and manufacturing, medical devices and diagnostics, and clinical research and testing. That breadth creates partnering opportunities as ideas advance.
A discovery may begin at a university, move through clinical development and regulatory review, draw on specialized manufacturing expertise, and ultimately reach patients through global supply chains. Each capability is important on its own. Together, they create an integrated ecosystem for turning science into impact and expanding opportunity for the more than 70,000 people employed in life sciences statewide.
That collaborative model is becoming increasingly important. Scientific advances are moving faster, development pathways are becoming more complex, and companies need access to specialized talent, infrastructure, capital, and partners at every stage. Indiana is applying its established strengths to areas shaping the next generation of life sciences, including artificial intelligence and computational medicine, radiopharmaceuticals, diagnostics, precision medicine, and advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing.
Indiana also has significant momentum. In 2025, the state’s life sciences sector surpassed $100 billion in economic activity. Indiana is home to Eli Lilly and Company, the world’s highest-valued life sciences company, accounted for one in five life sciences M&A transactions during the first half of 2026.
In 2023, Indiana was designated a federal Tech Hub for biomanufacturing and received a $51 million Economic Development Administration grant, including support for a new biomanufacturing workforce training facility at 16 Tech Innovation District. Lilly Endowment awarded $70 million to establish a fund to attract leading researchers to Indiana University, Purdue University, the University of Notre Dame, and Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. A coalition led by Indiana University also secured a National Science Foundation Engines award to accelerate innovation in musculoskeletal health and build on Indiana’s position as home to the Orthopedic Capital of the World.
The governor has announced a $1 billion, 10-year investment to grow the biosciences sector in Central Indiana. Indiana is also building on assets in radiopharmaceuticals, where global companies, specialized suppliers, and Purdue University’s leading nuclear medicine program support the development and manufacturing of innovative cancer therapies.
Despite these strengths, Indiana has not consistently told its story. BioHeartland Indiana was launched to elevate awareness of the state’s capabilities and clearly express its ambition to expand its leadership in biosciences.
What has been built here is more than a strong life sciences sector. It is an environment where ideas can find partners, companies can find the resources to grow, and products can move from discovery to patients and markets.
For investors seeking compelling inventions, researchers looking for clinical partners, and companies deciding where to expand, Indiana offers a rare combination: the capacity to invent, the infrastructure to make, and the networks to move life sciences products at scale.
To learn more, visit www.inbioheartland.com.
