Why Minnesota
Blazing a Trail
Industrious. Inventive. Pioneering. Minnesota biobusiness industry stands firmly upon a foundation built by world leaders in healthcare, research and education, and technology.
Mayo Clinic and IBM. A firmly established and world-renowned medical device industry. Leading institutions of higher education.
These are just a few of Minnesota’s trailblazers. All backed by state and local governments that consistently demonstrate a commitment to progress—and specifically to growing biobusiness—in the state.
Pioneer Spirit
Minnesota offers abundant opportunities to explore and discover. To live life to the fullest.
Education a top priority for your family? Indeed, it is for Minnesota, too.
Committed to a green, clean environment and healthy living? You’ve found your place.
Love to explore and play in the great outdoors? Or appreciate the culture and entertainment found in the world’s greatest cities? Welcome home. Welcome to Minnesota.
Honor Roll
Year after year, Minnesota is recognized as a high achiever in business development, quality of life, and education. We invite those considering making Minnesota home to consider the following rankings and recognitions:
- Biobusiness & Corporate Environment
Minnesota named the North American region most likely to “spark a burst of new biotech activity” by Fierce Biotech (May 2009), with “trendsetter” potential to breed or expand biotech clusters thanks in large part to Tower Investments’ partnership with industry icon G. Steven Burrill and the developers’ ability to get creative during this economic downturn.
Ranked 14th nationwide and second in the Midwest for venture capital investments received in 2006.
Minnesota has the most densely populated medical device sector in the world.
Ranked 9th most competitive state in 2006 by Suffolk University based on human resources, infrastructure, technology, and business incubation.
Ranked 3rd nationwide for “Good Work Environment” by the University of Massachusetts’ Political Economy Research Institute, based on job opportunities, job quality, and job fairness.
Ranked 41st in the ratio of taxes to total business profits.
- Quality of Life & Cost of Living
Rochester named three years in a row by Money magazine as among the best places to live in the United States.
Minnesota ranked 7th nationwide in the State Policy Report’s “Camelot Index” based on economic vitality, health, education, crime, society, and government.
Outdoor Life magazine ranked Rochester ninth on its Top 200 Towns for Sportsmen, based on activities that include world-class trout fishing, hunting for giant Canada geese, trophy deer and turkeys, waterfowling and fishing on the Mississippi River, and biking and canoeing through the bluff country
Ranked 14th lowest nationwide in property tax index (Tax Foundation’s State Business Climate Index, 2007)
Minneapolis-St. Paul ranked third among 362 metropolitan areas as most logistics-friendly metro, based on measures such as interstate highways, railroad service, transportation and warehousing industry, and air cargo. (Expansion Management 2006)
Education & Workforce
Ranked first in the world with highest percentage of people 25 years and older with high school diplomas.
Ranked 3rd in 2007 by Quality Counts as best at connecting education from birth to adulthood, based on parent education, parental employment, preschool enrollment, elementary reading, and high school graduation rates.
The University of Minnesota ranks second in industrial outreach and ninth in nanotechnology research with more than 500 research partnerships and industrial revenues of nearly $20 million. The University also ranks in the top 10 globally in several biotechnology transfer and commercialization categories.
