Bioscience & healthcare

Cluster overview

It’s well known that Colorado is one of the healthiest states in the nation. But it goes deeper than just a healthy lifestyle. We have world-class bioscience and healthcare companies, researchers, doctors, and facilities that are all dedicated to the health and wellness of us all. They are pioneers, rooted in innovation, creating new technology and finding ways to advance their industries. This cluster covers companies focused on medical devices, diagnostics, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, treatment centers, disease prevention, and more. The success of public and private sector leaders in the space is due in large part to the strong collaboration and connection between academia, research, and innovative companies. It also benefits from our highly educated workforce, especially focused in tech and science. We have 33 federal labs in Colorado, the largest concentration in the U.S. and more than 700 life sciences companies and organizations in the state.

World-renowned facilities and employment hubs focused on innovation

UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital, photo courtesy of UCHealth

Children’s Hospital Colorado, photo courtesy of Children’s Hospital

Fitzsimons Innovation Community aerial, photo courtesy of Fitzsimons Innovation Community

Construction of Bio 3, photo courtesy of Fitzsimons Innovation Community

Aurora is the epicenter for Colorado’s bioscience and healthcare cluster with some of the most well-known and highly-rated facilities in the world.  These attract both top talent and patients from around the globe as a medical destination.  With incubators and accelerators for small companies and researchers, companies have the  opportunity to grow in Aurora.  

University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

The campus is home to several hospitals, medical, dental, pharmacy, public health, physical therapy, and nursing schools, and plenty of research and lab space.  It is the largest academic health center in the Rocky Mountain region, and it leads the way in education, research, and patient care.  Nearly 30,000 employees work on the campus and 1.5 million patients visit annually.  Its economic impact is significant, with more than $2.6 billion in total campus direct expenditures.  Since 2002, 1,300 patent applications have been filed and 53 new companies have been formed through campus research efforts. 

• UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital has been ranked as the #1 hospital I Colorado in 2020-2021 by U.S. News & World Report, and #2 in the nation for its pulmonology and lung surgery focus.  Learn more https://www.uchealth.org/locations/uchealth-university-of-colorado-hospital-uch/ 

• Children’s Hospital Colorado has more than 7,700 employees and 2,100 medical staff and is home to many nationally and internationally recognized programs.  It is consistently ranked in the top in the nation among pediatric hospitals with high marks in all 10 specialties.  It has 3,400 employees conducting pediatric research and received $120 million in funding in 2018. The Center for Innovation at Children’s Colorado provides an opportunity for innovators to come together to develop groundbreaking ideas that will enrich and save lives through better technology and healthcare.  Learn more https://www.childrenscolorado.org/ 
• Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center recently opened its 1.2 million square foot campus and through a unique combination of medical center-based and local community-focused medicine, provides innovative and leading-edge care to Veterans throughout the region.   Learn more https://www.denver.va.gov/index.asp 
• UCHealth CARE Innovation Center is a partnership between academia and health care innovators that helps partners test, pilot, optimize and commercialize the most innovative new technologies in health care.  It works with seed-stage startup companies to multinational organizations on co-development opportunities and coordinates venture capital investment for qualified partners.  It has vetted more than 500 companies, created 15 startup partnerships and 10 multinational partnerships.  Learn more https://www.uchealth.org/innovation 
• University of Colorado School of Medicine is the academic arm of the campus, with many top-rated programs.  The school was ranked #9 for the best medical schools for primary care by U.S. News and World Report.  It has six schools and more than 40 programs serving 4,500 students.  

Fitzsimons Innovation Community

The Fitzsimons Innovation Community (FIC) pushes boundaries in a unified pursuit of health breakthroughs.  It is adjacent to the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and is the only organization in the Rocky Mountain West that offers specialized life sciences lab and office space with the opportunity to work alongside researchers and clinicians at a world-class medical destination.  From concept through commercialization, innovators benefit from the entrepreneurial environment, leading-edge facilities, and campus-wide support.  There are four buildings with a combined 335,000 square feet of office and meeting space plus 125 acres for additional facility development.  Its most recent building, Bioscience 3 offers custom labs and warehouse/manufacturing space for companies can expand as they grow.  More than 100 companies have started their operations from Fitzsimons Innovation Community and many have stayed in Aurora as they have grown.   Visionaries can discover, develop, and collaborate with direct access to the renowned clinicians and researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.  Learn more https://fitzsimonsinnovation.com/ 

HealthONE Medical Center of Aurora

The Medical Center of Aurora (TMCA) is an acute care hospital that is part of HealthONE, recognized as the #1 large healthcare system in the country by IBM Watson Health.  TMCA includes five campuses including Spalding Rehabilitation Hospital, The Behavioral Health and Wellness Center, Centennial Medical Plaza, and Saddle Rock ER.  It offers more than 60 medical specialties including advanced cardiovascular services, robotic surgery, the Sarah Cannon Cancer Institute, Chest Pain Center, Colorado Chiari Institute and more.  TMCA has been named as one of the top 100 hospitals in the country by IBM Watson Health in 2020 among numerous other accolades.  Learn more https://auroramed.com/ 

Bioscience & healthcare

Talent and employment

Nearly 250,000 people are directly employed in the healthcare and wellness cluster plus another nearly 17,000 in the bioscience sector in the Metro area. Nearly half of the fastest growing job categories in Colorado are in healthcare. The University of Colorado School of Medicine in Aurora produces highly qualified healthcare professionals to meet this demand for talent.