“Power and Promise: Agbioscience in the North Central United States,” a Battelle study released earlier this month, shows that the region is a leader in the $125 billion US agricultural industry in terms of production and R&D. The region, made up of 12 states, accounts for just 21% of the US geographically but produces 45% of US agricultural exports and is a prime spot for academic R&D in agbioscience. Agbioscience and related fields at area colleges and universities received $3.6 billion for R&D in 2009, led by Illinois, which received $673.3 million. Overall growth in agbioscience R&D in the region between 2000 and 2009 was 70.5%, below the US average of 73.7%. R&D expenditure in the field grew in all 12 states between 2000 and 2009. Growth in agbioscience R&D expenditure in six states in the region surpassed agbioscience R&D expenditure growth in the US for this time period, most notably in South Dakota, where expenditures soared 292.2%. Also significant were Illinois, Indiana and Michigan, with growth of 92.7%, 85.8% and 78.1% for the same time period, respectively.

Source: Battelle