Next 10 U.S. Biopharma Clusters
For the first time, GEN 's Alex Philippidis examines the top regions and top states just below the 10 largest regions for life sciences activity, as the field looks beyond the East and West Coasts for growth The post Next 10 U.S. Biopharma Clusters appeared first on GEN - Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News .
The days of biotech businesses and institutions focusing their research and commercial activity solely on traditional clusters like Boston/Cambridge, MA, and the San Francisco Bay Area are coming to an end. Life sciences are now expanding their reach to regions and states that were not previously considered prime locations for the industry, according to John Flavin, founder and CEO of venture capital firm Portal Innovations, and his brother Pat Flavin, Portal’s president.
In a recent guest editorial published by the Timmerman Report on December 15, 2025, titled "Biotech’s Future Will Be More Distributed," the Flavin brothers highlighted several key factors contributing to this shift.
One significant factor is the evolving nature of academic research, which has shifted towards a more translational focus to address the growing need for practical applications in life sciences. Additionally, funding cuts or stagnation in NIH funding in certain regions have compelled universities to seek alternative methods to attract and retain research talent, often through stronger partnerships with industry.
The COVID-19 pandemic also played a crucial role in accelerating the re-evaluation of innovation processes in the life sciences sector. The global shock caused by the pandemic forced a rapid reevaluation of how and where innovation occurs, leading to the emergence of new biotech hubs across the United States.
To identify the next up-and-coming biopharma clusters in the United States, GEN has compiled its first-ever A-List of Next 10 U.S. Biopharma Clusters. This list comprises three separate rankings: a top five ranking of emerging regions below the traditional top 10 clusters, a top five ranking of states that have demonstrated initiative and success in developing their life-sciences ecosystems, and an unranked list of promising regions and states to watch based on recent developments.
GEN's regional rankings are based on five criteria: the number of patents containing the term "biotechnology" in a given region or state, NIH funding amounts, venture capital funding for the area, the total size of the laboratory space market, and the number of jobs within the biopharma sector. These rankings provide a comprehensive overview of the most promising regions and states for life sciences activity beyond the traditional coastal epicenters.
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