DEPARTMENT: Economic Development
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Rene Dominguez
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: City-wide
SUBJECT: Briefing on the San Antonio Military Life Science Commercialization Action Plan implementation, Charter, and staff support.
SUMMARY:
This briefing will provide an update on the implementation of the San Antonio Military Life Science Commercialization Action Plan and Charter. Staff also seeks the Committee's endorsement for City Council consideration of the establishment the San Antonio Military Medicine Innovation (SAMMI) Director as a contract employee of the San Antonio Economic Development Corporation (SAEDC) to help facilitate the implementation of the Action Plan and Charter through an Economic Development Incentive Fund Grant from the City in the amount of $300,000 over three years.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
San Antonio is home to significant military medical research missions focused on developing new trauma/critical care technologies and products to treat wounded warriors. These military units include the U.S. Army Institute for Surgical Research, the Navy Medical Research Unit San Antonio (both at Fort Sam Houston), and the Air Force's 59th Medical Wing (Lackland Air Force Base). It is estimated that these military medical missions contribute $4.6 billion in annual economic impact for the community. To help them meet their medical mission requirements, the military wants to partner and collaborate with private industry and research institutions.
In August 2017, the City's Economic Development Department formed a Life Science Working Group to explore ways to better leverage military medical research for commercialization. The Working Group included military partners along with representatives from the SAEDC, UTSA, UT Health SA, Velocity TX, Texas BioMed, Southwest Research Institute, BioBridge Global, BioMed SA, the Economic Development Foundation and private industry representatives (Acelity, InCube Labs, and Prytime Medical).
The...
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