By Chris Frew, Founder of BioBuzz and CEO of Workforce Genetics
Last week, I had the privilege of attending the 11th Annual BioHealth Capital Region Forum, held at US Pharmacopeia in Rockville, Maryland and organized by BioHealth Innovation. Having attended every single one of these forums since their inception, I can confidently say this year’s theme — Where Human and Artificial Intelligence Converge — captured a moment of both great transition and great opportunity for our region.
The numbers speak volumes: more than 750 leaders from across life sciences, government, and investment gathered for three days of keynotes, panels, competitions, and networking. This year even featured a Rock Band – The Impurities – formed from USP employees. The Forum was coupled with the 8th Annual BHCR Investment Conference and the 10th Annual Crab Trap Competition, cementing BHCR Forum as one of the region’s most impactful gatherings of ecosystem and company builders.
Highlights That Stood Out
- Quantum Takes the Stage: William Hurley (Whurley), Founder and CEO of Strangeworks, kicked things off with a powerful keynote on quantum’s transformative potential. IonQ’s Matthew Keesan followed with a deep dive into quantum’s role in tackling healthcare’s hardest challenges. It was inspiring to see this technology—born here in Maryland—at the center of the conversation.
- Regulatory Insights on AI: Leaders from the FDA provided thoughtful perspectives on how AI will shape biohealth innovation, particularly in drug discovery and patient care.
- AstraZeneca’s New Facility: The spotlight on AstraZeneca’s state-of-the-art cell and gene therapy facility in Rockville underscored the momentum our region has in advanced therapies.
- Virginia’s Vision for Life Sciences – Virginia Secretary of Commerce, Juan Pablo Segura gave an energetic talk where he painted a clear vision for his state and their strategy for continuing the momentum they have built to become a top destination for life science business.
- The Crab Trap Competition: Perfusion Medical from Reston, VA, emerged as the winner, showcasing just how much entrepreneurial energy continues to fuel our ecosystem.
- Investment Conference: More than 200 one-on-one meetings and 30+ Quick Pitches once again highlighted the critical role of capital in fueling innovation.
Where We’ve Been—and Where We Need to Go
I’ve been reflecting on how this forum has evolved over the last 11 years. In its early days, the Forum was hosted by the region’s top employer, MedImmune, and regularly drew nearly 800-1000 attendees, including many of the largest pharma companies and even appearances from the governor. The forum was always filled with an energy of possibility, and most importantly, a vision.
Today, the landscape has shifted. We’ve earned the coveted #3 ranking among U.S. biopharma clusters, but are facing a different market where investment at record lows, layoffs from industry and government are at record highs, big pharma companies such as GSK and Amgen are pulling R&D out of Maryland, while Virginia is seeing record investment and growth announcements from the likes of Eli Lilly and AstraZeneca.
The questions now are: what role should this Forum hold in today’s ecosystem, what will unify us to move forward and what’s the vision?
Here are four opportunities I believe we should embrace as we look to what’s next:
- Redefining the Forum’s Purpose
The industry—and our region—look very different than they did in 2015. Now is the time to ask: what is this forum about in 2026 and beyond? How do we move from celebrating our Top 3 ranking to charting a clear course for what comes next? What’s the new north star? - Virginia’s Moment to Lead
For 11 years, this event has been held in Maryland. But Virginia, under Governor Youngkin, has been making bold investments and is emerging as a real force in biohealth. Hosting a future Forum at George Mason or another Virginia institution could help shine a spotlight on this growing strength. - Industry at the Table
I was struck by the absence of many of our region’s larger bio and pharma companies in the audience. Without industry participation, we won’t grow. It is times of challenge where we need industry to lean in the most – and we have to earn that involvement. North Carolina is a strong example of how deep industry engagement can propel an ecosystem forward. We need that same level of presence and partnership here. - Owning the Digital Frontier
This year’s focus on AI and quantum was refreshing and necessary. These technologies are reshaping healthcare globally, and our region is uniquely positioned to lead. The Forum could be a catalyst for building our identity as a hub for digital biohealth transformation.
The Next Generation
I’ve known Rich Bendis and the BioHealth Innovation team since they first launched. I’ve spoken at this forum twice and have been part of the conversations about building the BioHealth Capital Region brand since the early MedImmune days. I have a deep respect for the work that’s been done to bring us this far and the mission behind it.
But I also believe we’re at an inflection point. The opportunities ahead require us to not just celebrate our successes but also take bold steps to unify, collaborate, and innovate across borders, sectors, and disciplines as we look to the next generation of what the Biohealth Capital Region could be. It’s going to take boots on the ground level effort for the next year to capture the opportunities in front of us. It will take collective effort to build trust with industry partners, forge alliances, foster new programs and build the vision for the next 10 years. If we can do that, this region has the potential to not only remain a Top 3 cluster but to redefine what a leading biohealth ecosystem looks like in the age of AI and quantum.
Part of our contribution to this effort is our regional storytelling, and the 9-part thought leadership event series we host during the year, our Insights to Impact event series. These events not only bring industry out to discuss the top trends facing our field but they serve to build community, foster awareness and establish local partnerships so that we can work together to grow. I encourage you to subscribe to our events notifications so that you can join us and be part of this effort – the next one is November 5th in Rockville on the Biopharma 4.0 Playbook.
You can also participate in may of the other groups that bring us together, such as ISPE and the dozens of events they host during the year, or Women in Bio, or the Maryland Tech Council, VABio and the many other groups that are convening us to build the ecosystem.
If you’re reading this and work at one of the region’s biopharma or medtech companies – the most important thing you can do is to show up and start investing your time outside of the corporate walls and department priorities. It’s a personal decision that will lead to a cultural shift across the community if you take action. The next generation of leadership starts with you.
I left this year’s Forum inspired. Inspired by the people, the ideas, and the possibilities. But more importantly, I left reminded that our work isn’t done. Together, we can shape the next chapter of the BioHealth Capital Region—and in doing so, change lives around the world.
