LIFE SCIENCES
Anchored by global companies like Corteva, Elanco, Eli Lilly, and Roche Diagnostics and supported by world-class institutions like Indiana University and Purdue University, Central Indiana is a leading hub for life sciences. The region’s robust research infrastructure, innovation and commercialization capacity, advanced manufacturing expertise, and central location, drive Central Indiana’s growth and investment in life sciences.
Central Indiana’s life sciences industry functions as a highly interconnected ecosystem spanning the entire value chain, from discovery and development to manufacturing, testing, storage, and distribution.
From discovery to distribution, Central Indiana is the premier destination for life sciences growth. Whether human, animal, or plant health, Central Indiana provides the infrastructure for every stage of the lifecycle.
INVENT IT - Research, Development, and Innovation
Research, Development and Innovation serve as the foundation for growth. In Central Indiana, seventeen percent (17%) of local discoveries are translational (produced with industry or linked to patents or clinical trials); nearly half of all local inventions cite earlier local research; and more than $1.2 billion in venture investment has gone to startups commercializing locally invented technologies—evidence of a self-reinforcing innovation cycle.
- Headquartered in Indianapolis, the Indiana Biosciences Research Institute (IBRI) is the nation’s first industry-led collaborative life sciences research institute. Initially founded to improve the health of Hoosiers living with diabetes, IBRI has expanded its capabilities and applied them to other diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, cancer, and rare pediatric diseases. (Source: Indiana Bioscience Research Institute)
- In 2024 alone, Indiana’s life sciences companies attracted $260 million in venture capital across 36 deals, and the state recorded more than 100 new FDA approvals and 926 new patents. (Source: BioCrossroads)
- Indiana University invested over $1 billion in research expenditures in FY 2025, launched the IU Launch Accelerator for Biosciences, and IU Indianapolis recently earned R1 classification. (Source: Indiana University)
- Indiana University invested over $1 billion in research expenditures in FY 2025, launched the IU Launch Accelerator for Biosciences, and IU Indianapolis recently earned R1 classification. (Source: Indiana University)
MAKE IT - Advanced Manufacturing
Indiana’s distinguished legacy as a manufacturing giant enables its life sciences companies to convert scientific breakthroughs into scalable, regulated products, including pharmaceuticals, biologics, diagnostic tools, and medical devices. Today, Central Indiana boasts a location quotient in pharma manufacturing that is 7x the national average.
- 25% of Indiana’s economic output is based in manufacturing. (Source: IEDC)
- Indiana is the most manufacturing intensive state in the U.S., with advanced manufacturing and logistics employing nearly 700,000 workers across 16,000+ establishments and contributing about $119 billion directly to GDP and nearly $399 billion in total economic activity. (Source: 2023 CICP Annual Report)
MOVE IT - Supply Chain and Logistics
As a premier global logistics hub, Central Indiana provides the specialized storage and distribution infrastructure essential to the life sciences industry. The region’s ecosystem is anchored by firms offering FDA-compliant 3PL services—including cold chain and specialized warehousing—that support the unique demands of pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
- Central Indiana has more than 350 million square feet of industrial and warehouse space, including nearly 200 million square feet of modern bulk distribution. With occupancy rates typically above 85% and millions of square feet of new development delivered annually, Central Indiana has one of the largest and fastest-growing logistics real estate markets.
- A dense network of interstates (I-65, I-70, I-69, I-74) provides rapid north-south and east-west freight movement. And Indiana is just a day’s drive to more than 80% of the United States’ population. (Source: Conexus)
- Indianapolis International Airport ranks among the top 10 cargo airports in the United States, and Indiana is home to the second-largest FedEx Air hub in the world. (Source: IEDC)
HEAL IT - Delivering Services to Patients
Central Indiana’s integrated healthcare system enables life sciences innovation to move efficiently from discovery to delivery. Central Indiana continues to maximize healthcare deliverables by heavily investing in its infrastructure, with a focus on accelerating the translation of scientific discoveries into patient care, enhancing clinical trials, and fostering a collaborative, data-driven health ecosystem. This strategic investment has created an $84 billion annual economic impact in the region, supporting over 133,000 direct jobs in the life sciences and healthcare sectors.
- Central Indiana has large health systems that serve millions of patients and can quickly adopt and deploy new treatments. These health systems include Ascension St. Vincent, Community Health Network, Eskenazi Health, and Indiana University Health.
- Anchored by Indiana University School of Medicine, Indiana is developing one of the largest physician training pipelines in the country (Source: IU School of Medicine).
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