b'C olorados life sciences ecosystem isMedtronic Opens New an epicenter of health innovation, asLafayette Campusnewcomers plant roots, investors pourThe $32 billion Ireland-based Medtronic has billions of dollars into the state, and long- been in Colorado for five decades, and itIt isnt an time stalwarts double down on the vibranthas also deepened its presence here with medtech and scientific community. a new campus in Lafayette. accident that In the Boulder-Denver area alone, the pool of qualified workers in life sciences is growingThemedicaldevicecompany,whichwe built our faster than the national average, and inves- employs several thousand people across tors see opportunity. Colorado companiesthe state in its surgical business, cranialfacility here and raised more than a billion dollars each yearand spinal technologies, endoscopy, and over the last seven consecutive years, withits acute care and monitoring business,really invested$1.2 billion raised in the first six months ofrecently finished construction of a 40-acre, 2024. Add to that: homegrown life sciences400,000-square-foot, state-of-the-artin Colorado.companies are thriving, and newcomers areresearch facility in Lafayette. choosing Colorado as the ideal hub to developThe campus includes a customer experienceFRANK CHAN cutting-edgetechnologiesandmedicaland innovation center for hands-on trainingPRESIDENT, ACUTE CARE & MONITORINGMEDTRONICtreatments. And, developers are makingfor physicians and extensive collaboration big investments in the state to acceleratespace. The advanced training center lever-the momentum. San Diego-based BioMedages virtual reality, augmented reality, and Realty, for instance, invested $625 million invideo recording to allow physicians to train the Flatiron Park campus in Boulder. on the latest laparoscopic and robotic- Behind that growth lies a close-knit eco- assisted surgery tools. system with companies, entrepreneurs, andIt isnt an accident that we built our facility researchers whose work spans decades in thehere and really invested in Colorado, says Centennial State. Established companies thatFrank Chan, President of Medtronics Acute have long called Colorado home have deep- Care & Monitoring division, which is based ened their commitments in the state, investingin Boulder but will eventually move to in new labs and manufacturing facilities,the Lafayette campus. The company has drawing on the states scientific community, andbeen able to draw its medtech workforce building the next generation of the industrys thanks to the states quality of life, central workforce. They are all in, dedicated to makinglocation, and access to strong STEM and a difference for patients around the worldhealth science programs at Colorados from their vantage point in Colorado. universities.2024-2025 BIOSCIENCE COLORADO 7'