Connecticut is Home to Life Science Innovators & Researchers

Connecticut is part of a dynamic ecosystem that includes some of the top life sciences clusters in the country, anchored by a robust ecosystem of cutting-edge research, highly educated workforce, and innovative companies. Connecticut has become a nucleus of life science advances—from groundbreaking vaccine research and development to device manufacturing of the latest medical technology. From the creation of the artificial heart to stem cell study to genomic research, Connecticut continues to demonstrate its commitment to serving as the center for biomedical advances.

Connecticut is home to more than 1,630 life sciences establishments that employ over 24,300 people1 in the state, contributing to Connecticut's status as the state with the 8th highest STEM employment concentration in the U.S.2 This STEM workforce is one of the most highly skilled and educated in the nation, with Connecticut's workers boasting the 7th highest percentage of science, engineering, & health doctorates in the workforce3 in the country. This talent has resulted in a wide array of innovative companies flocking to the state, from pharmaceutical giants to world class R&D centers to life-changing startups. This dynamic ecosystem and the pharmacological and technological developments that have flourished within it has attracted the 4th most National Institutes of Health funding per capita4 in the nation and more than$18 billion in total capital raised for Yale & UConn life sciences affiliates since 20195, providing Connecticut businesses with the funding and support they need to continue to grow.

“Connecticut’s universities are great engines of innovation. Those ideas attract capital, both from the private sector and public sector. Together, with Connecticut’s talent pool, those are the three ingredients for a successful bioscience company.”

— Craig Crews, Founder of Arvinas

Connecticut’s Life Sciences Corridor, following I-95 and I-91 from Stamford to Hartford, is more concentrated, easily accessible, and as productive as other nationally recognized bioscience hubs. Anchor cities like New Haven, Stamford, and Farmington, as well as Groton in the southeast, have experienced a rapid growth in life sciences companies over the last decade, with New Haven ranking as the #3 fastest growing city for physical, engineering, and life science R&D jobs6 in the country, experiencing a 146% growth in those fields from 2019-20247. This surge is thanks in large part to the state’s 36 world class colleges and universities, including Yale University and the University of Connecticut (UConn), and the talent pipeline, research partnerships, and incubation opportunities that stem from them. These institutions are also recipients of massive amounts of funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), contributing to the more than $787 million that the state secured in 20244.