2026: Michigan's Moment to Rebuild Bioscience Leadership

Friends —

Michigan has world-class science, a proud manufacturing legacy and thousands of bioscience jobs. But the cold truth is this: other regions have been more deliberate about converting research into companies, manufacturing, long-term jobs, and life-saving treatments. Our national standing as a bio-industry based on total employment has fallen from 13th to 16th over the last decade, despite overall cluster growth during that period, and continued top ten rankings in medtech and biopharmaceutical manufacturing.

That’s why MichBio’s overarching advocacy agenda centers on one clear mission - put Michigan’s science on a viable path to sustained economic growth and patient impact. 

A State Imperative  

Our 2026 State Legislative Agenda priorities call for a visible Michigan Bioscience Growth Initiative - a public-private engine whose goal is simple and practical: put a visible, accountable economic strategy behind Michigan’s biosciences research base so we can attract, retain, and grow companies, manufacturing, and the jobs that come with them. 

We will press the State to re-establish and expand incentives that catalyze early-stage capital and translate federal research into Michigan companies: an angel/seed credit program, enhanced matching support of SBIT/STTR awards, and bridge funding and indirect-cost support to protect Michigan’s innovation capacity when federal awards fluctuate. 

A top priority for the state will be workforce development tied to real industry demand. MichBio will once again ask the Legislature to fund specialized apprenticeships and other training programs in biopharmaceutical and medical device manufacturing, quality and compliance, and clinical-trial operations, and to create incentives that retain experienced bioscience talent. These programs should be designed in close partnership with employers so that trained talent can move directly into high-quality jobs that support plant siting and scale-up.  

On patient access, MichBio is seeking to advance patient-centered reforms - co-pay accumulator fixes, coverage for biomarker testing, and enactment of a Michigan Rare Diseases Advisory Council - while resisting state price-control models (like prescription drug advisory boards or PDABs) that risk shrinking investment and limiting treatment development. Our approach puts patients first while protecting the incentives that drive discovery and manufacturing investment here.  

This year though, adds a new, urgent dimension: it’s a gubernatorial election year. The next Governor will shape Michigan’s economic agenda and the environment in which our companies invest, hire, and expand. It is imperative that the gubernatorial and other legislative candidates - and their senior advisors - understand that Michigan’s life sciences industry is not a niche sector but a pillar of our economy: high-paying jobs, advanced manufacturing, clinical trials that bring dollars and patients to Michigan, and homegrown innovation that spurs new companies. If candidates take office without a clear plan to stabilize commercialization pathways, attract capital, and grow biopharmaceutical and medical technology manufacturing, Michigan risks falling further behind. We will press every leading candidate to adopt these priorities as central to their economic plans.  

The dynamics could not be more consequential. Other states that have been deliberate (e.g., Massachusetts, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, among others) show how a sustained, branded and focused bio-industry supportive efforts can attract capital and jobs. MichBio’s platform is built to do both: defend an innovation-friendly market and build the tools Michigan needs to win.  

Federal Priorities 

In Washington, MichBio is stalwart in asking the federal government to restore and sustain strong, predictable NIH funding levels so the nation’s biomedical engine continues to fuel discovery and commercialization. Stable NIH appropriations are foundational: without predictable federal funding, university labs and early-stage companies face cycles that jeopardize jobs and the long arc from discovery to market. Moreover, without such investment, the U.S. will only continue to relinquish its global leadership in life sciences innovation and manufacturing to China.  

On SBIR/STTR, MichBio will continue to press for federal action to reauthorize and strengthen these programs and to preserve sufficient funding so states can responsibly top up or match awards. Reauthorization with growth and modernized program rules will keep these small-business engines robust and ensure more federal dollars can be multiplied by state initiatives. 

MichBio will also press for targeted federal biomanufacturing incentives and other supply-chain supports - grants, matching funds, or CHIPS-style mechanisms - that states can leverage to make re-shoring and plant expansion financially viable. Federal manufacturing tools can amplify state bio-industry investments and make “Michigan Made” a more practical economic strategy.  

The need for modernization and evidence-based regulatory oversight is another federal focus: we advocate for prudent FDA reforms, staffing, and resources that speed safe approvals and create workable pathways for therapeutics, cell and gene therapies, companion diagnostics, medical devices, and appropriately regulated uses of AI in discovery, product development, and clinical operations. MichBio will also support federal policy that enables Medicaid to experiment with value-based purchasing for transformative therapies, improving patient access without undermining innovation. These federal actions reduce uncertainty for companies and accelerate patient benefits.  

Regarding protecting innovation and opposing counterproductive price reforms - MichBio will oppose sweeping drug price-control proposals - including MFN/MFP-style reference pricing and any federal program that effectively imposes price caps, because these measures risk undermining investment in R&D and biomanufacturing in Michigan and across the country, and more importantly, affordability and access to needed treatments for patients. Lastly, MichBio will continue to advocate for robust intellectual property protections and full compliance with the Bayh-Dole framework, ensuring that discoveries arising from federally funded research can be commercialized, licensed, and scaled into companies and manufacturing jobs here in Michigan. 

A Practical Call to Action - Members Can Make a Difference in 2026 

Policy wins require more than good ideas - they require people. Over the coming months, we will continue our interactions with the Governor’s Office, state legislature, and our federal delegation, and step up discussions with gubernatorial campaigns. I’m asking every industry member to help make the case for why Michigan’s life sciences cluster needs their support: 

• Attend the MichBio State Legislative Reception - March 3. This is our moment to meet lawmakers and campaign teams in Lansing, showcase Michigan innovation, and make the economic case for investing to support the statewide life sciences cluster and our priority asks. Bring a short success story or an economic metric that demonstrates the return on public investment. 
• Join one of our Congressional Fly-Ins — we’re organizing two focused fly-ins in 2026: one on medtech issues (Feb 23-24) and one on biopharma issues (Apr 14-15). These trips put Michigan companies face-to-face with members of Congress and their staff so we can secure federal support for reauthorization of SBIR/STTR funding, NIH funding, regulatory modernization, and domestic supply chains. Your participation signals to Washington that Michigan is organized, serious, and ready to partner. 
• Host campaign site visits and tell innovation, manufacturing, and patient stories. With MichBio’s coordination, let’s invite legislators and campaign teams to your labs, development facilities, and manufacturing plants. Tell your story, or better yet, have your “customers” - the patients we work for - explain why Michigan’s policies matter. Their voices are persuasive and memorable - they attest to the unmet medical needs and the treatments that are making a difference in their lives.
• Share data and volunteer with our advocacy work. Help us quantify the jobs, wages, and private capital impact of your operations, your assets, and capabilities, so we can put hard numbers behind the asks. 
• Lastly, keep an eye out as MichBio launches a new Advocacy Platform and Action Center to make member engagement faster and more effective. The online Action Center will let members track legislation of interest, set custom alerts, access succinct bill briefs, and one-click tools to contact state and federal legislators on specific bills. Members will be able to join coordinated campaigns, use templated messages or personalize outreach, and see real-time tracking of campaign activity and outcomes. 

In the meantime, for any questions, contact MichBio at info@michbio.org, and we’ll be happy to engage you in our advocacy efforts! 

Michigan can - and must - do this. With a focused strategy, the state can restore our life sciences cluster’s momentum, sustain high-quality jobs and create new ones, and ensure that Michigan remains a place where life-changing ideas are developed and manufactured at scale. I’m counting on you - our members - to make these conversations real for lawmakers, candidates, and policymakers. Thank you for your partnership - let’s get to work.