Georgia Bio to Showcase State’s Leadership and Patients’ Perspectives in Bioscience Innovation at 2019 Innovation Summit

Atlanta, Georgia (September 26, 2019) – The Georgia Bio Innovation Summit is the southeast’s largest life science conference, showcasing Georgia’s leadership in innovation to improve the health and well-being of people, animals and the environment. This year’s Summit will bring together hundreds of CEOs, senior executives, scientists and public policy officials from Georgia and across the nation on October 8 at the Cobb Galleria in Atlanta.

How important is the life sciences industry to the state of Georgia? From 2007 to 2017, employment in life sciences grew by 14.9%, compared to 7.7% nationally, and 8.7% growth in private employment across all industries in the state.” An RTI report for Georgia Bio published earlier this year identified 1,960 unique life science establishments that contributed 68,300 jobs and $10 billion to Georgia’s Gross Domestic Product. Accounting for multiplier effects, the industry supports a total of approximately 194,000 jobs and contributes $21.8 billion to Georgia’s GDP.

The 2019 Breakfast Keynote is entitled ”Connecting Healthcare” from Dr. Jean-Christophe Tellier, UCB Global CEO. The Luncheon Keynote Address “Personalized Health in a Chaotic Environment” will be delivered by Marc Boutin, CEO of the National Health Council

“In order to innovate, first and foremost, we must connect the patient to the science,” Tellier told the Harvard Club of Belgium. “We are moving from treating the group of patients on one criteria [towards] a better understanding of patient subpopulations and trying to define much more precise solutions that better match their needs based on biologic signatures.”

Georgia Bio is putting special emphasis on the patient’s perspective into this year’s event. What does patient-centricity really mean in an industry that comprises 20 percent of the U.S. economy? We will hear from four local members of the International Children’s Advisory Network; young advocates for the importance of the patient’s voice in pediatric care. High school senior Ayana Ganesh, sophomore Ava Meisner, eighth grader Kalee Polk, junior Maci Yeager and moderator Leanne West who will share their first person accounts of what patient centricity and the importance of the patient voice means in pediatric care.

View the full program agenda here.

Did you know, according to AdvaMed, Fortune 500 companies with more than three women on the Board have 66% higher return on invested capital and a 42% higher return on sales?

Given those statistics, to ensure we hear directly from the voice of the patient, and to build awareness among aspiring young women for what is attainable in our industry, we have intentionally stacked our presenting faculty with women leading the state’s life science sector. Read more about the industry leading women in Georgia’s life sciences presenting. 

“We are entirely confident the 2019 edition of the Georgia Bio Innovation Summit will be of high value for any and all with an interest in Georgia’s life science community and driving better treatments and care to patients in Georgia and around the globe,” says Georgia Bio President and CEO Maria Thacker-Goethe.

Register here

About Georgia Bio

Georgia Bio is the state’s trade association committed to driving growth in Georgia’s biosciences industry and its many sectors, including agri-biotech, food and nutrition, bio-based technologies and renewable chemicals, industrial and environmental biotech, medical devices and technologies, pharmaceuticals and consumer healthcare, diagnostics and research products, testing and research services, and clinical research. Georgia Bio members include bioscience companies, academic and research institutions, bioscience service providers, digital health companies, and related organizations. For more information, visit www.gabio.org or follow us on Twitter @Georgia_Bio

Editor’s Note: Registration is complimentary for credentialed members of the news media. To request media registration, please contact Kristina Forbes at kforbes@gabio.org | 404-920-2043. 

Media Contact: 
Kristina Forbes
404-920-2043
kforbes@gabio.org

May 13, 2026
Georgia Life Sciences thanks Dr. Marty Makary for his service as Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration during a period of significant change across the nation’s health and regulatory agencies.
May 12, 2026
Georgia Life Sciences is pleased to announce Tim Opler as a featured keynote speaker at the 2026 Georgia Life Sciences Summit, taking place August 25-26 at the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center in Atlanta. A leading voice in biotech investment banking, Tim Opler serves as Managing Director in Stifel’s Global Healthcare Group, where he advises innovative life sciences companies on financing, growth strategy, and market positioning across the healthcare landscape. Tim brings deep insight into the evolving biotech investment environment, emerging industry trends, and the factors shaping the future of life sciences innovation and commercialization. Join us for this timely discussion with one of the industry’s most respected financial leaders as we explore the opportunities and challenges defining the next era of life sciences growth . 
May 5, 2026
New coalition forms to develop a national innovation roadmap to strengthen and extend  America’s global leadership in biotechnology
MORE POSTS