Home to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, the Stead Family Children’s Hospital, and three other large medical centers, ICR has become a place where innovation in medical technology is growing. Startups like KemPharm, IDX, and Telepharm continue to thrive in the region. Regional expertise and development in this field centers around Digital Human Modeling, Robotics, Geometric Design, Kinematics, Dynamics, Machine Design, CAD/CAM, and Virtual Reality.
Biotechnology and Medical Technology
Homegrown Innovation
Largest Employers in
Health-Related field
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Biological Product Manufacturing is 12 times more concentrated in the ICR region than average.
Organic Chemical Manufacturing is 4 times more concentrated in the ICR region than average.
Medicinal and Botanical Manufacturing is 4 times more concentrated in the ICR region than average.

Behavioral Diagnostics
Helps identify, manage, and even prevent substance abuse.
Bio-Research Products
Specializes in manufacture of enzymes for biomedical manufacturing and research.

Cellular Engineering Technologies
Makes healthcare, drug discovery and the biomanufacturing process quicker, less expensive, more personalized, innovative and regenerative through the use of socially responsible cells.

Civco Medical Solutions
Offers a broad range of solutions and products for radiology, regional anesthesia, vascular access, men’s and women’s health, cardiology, infection control, and surgery, primarily focusing on the use of ultrasound.

Compleware
Pairs eClinical software with integrated service solutions to see your clinical trial through to completion.

Corvida Medical
Provides innovative technologies that optimize the safe handling of hazardous medications.

Emmyon
Discovers and develops small molecules that improve muscle mass, strength, exercise capacity and metabolism for growing markets including sports nutrition, healthy aging, muscle atrophy, obesity, diabetes, and animal health.

Freund Vector
Designs, manufactures and markets processing equipment and services for the processing of powders, particles, beads, pellets, tablets and other solid materials/forms to the pharmaceutical, nutritional, food, confectionery, chemical, powdered metals, automotive and pyrotechnics industries.

IDX
IDX works to help doctors and hospitals leverage the power of healthcare automation.

Integrated DNA Technologies
The world’s largest supplier of custom nucleic acids, serving the areas of academic research, biotechnology, clinical diagnostics, and pharmaceutical development.

Jones Microbiology Institute
Provides services for drug discovery, development, or marketing plan for antimicrobials.

JRS Pharma
A leading manufacturer of excipients, offering a complete portfolio of solutions for the global health science industry.

Kempharm
Kempharm is engaged in the discovery and development of proprietary prodrugs that improve one or more of the attributes of approved drugs such as susceptibility to abuse, bioavailability and safety.

Telepharm
Provides retail telepharmacy software that enables remote prescription verification and live-video counseling with patients.

Terpenoid Therapeutics
Focuses on anti-cancer therapeutics. They use the platform of terpene chemistry to develop candidate drug molecules.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals
Invests in scientific innovation to create transformative medicines for people with serious and life-threatening diseases.

Viewpoint Molecular Targeting, LLC
Develops pharmaceutical drugs for diagnostic imaging and therapy for cancer, with a focus on metastatic melanoma.

Voxello
Provides services and devices to help hospitals improve their standard of care through better communication with disabled patients.
University of Iowa Pharmaceutical Development Consortium (UIPDC)
Stands alone as the only comprehensive university-based drug manufacturing lab in the country registered with the FDA. Its scientists develop, test, and manufacture drugs in a variety of forms and for various purposes, but with one common goal: to relieve human suffering.
Pharmaceuticals handles approximately 40 clients each year, including lone innovative researchers, NASDAQ and New York Stock Exchange-traded companies, government agencies, and other research institutions. Each year, the division produces more than 120 batches of pharmaceutical products. Most big-name manufacturers churn out mass quantities of one drug on their production lines, but that’s not the case at Iowa. Instead, lab staff produces a range of medicines in all phases of drug development—from initial testing in humans to commercial production.
MedQuarter Cedar Rapids
A revitalization partnership committed to promoting a dynamic urban medical community to improve quality of life and advocate for new businesses and jobs in a defined medical district. Established in 2011, the MedQuarter supports a 55-square-block area in downtown Cedar Rapids anchored by Mercy Medical Center and UnityPoint Health – St. Luke’s Hospital.
University of Iowa BioVentures Center
Located at the University of Iowa Research Park and provides wet lab and office space for life science companies.
University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine
The Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine is a highly ranked medical school where students learn to become accomplished clinicians and top-flight researchers and educators.
Researchers in the College’s over 280 laboratories are served by state-of-the-art core research facilities and research support facilities. Much of the research conducted is interdisciplinary and collaborations are fostered and coordinated through major research centers, institutes and programs. Many faculty members are internationally renowned for their research. Two faculty members are Howard Hughes Institute Investigators, 12 are members of the Institute of Medicine and two are members of the National Academy of Sciences.
University of Iowa College of Pharmacy
Offers one of the most acclaimed and sought after educational experiences in the country. Graduate programs are offered in clinical pharmacy, pharmaceutics, medicinal and natural products chemistry or
pharmaceutical socioeconomics.
University of Iowa Center for Biocatalysis and Bioprocessing
Combines first-class scientific faculty with cutting-edge facilities to reshape and define new technologies for chemical, pharmaceutical, nutritional and agrochemical industries. Located in the University’s Oakdale Research Park, their facility of 50 faculty and more than 300 researchers has continued to dedicate themselves to education, research, and technology transfer related to biocatalysis and bioprocessing. Over the past two decades their scientists have routinely made significant contributions to the advancement of science while working with industrial, governmental, and academic clients. Their principal areas of study include biocatalyst fundamental properties, bioremediation, bioprocessing, new biocatalyst discovery, novel biocatalyst applications, biosensing technology, and reactive agent development.
University of Iowa College of Engineering
University of Iowa College of Engineering has five departments and four research units. The Department of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering offer a total of seven undergraduate programs of study and six advanced degrees in biomedical, chemical, computer science, civil, electrical, industrial, and mechanical engineering fields. The research units are the Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, the Center for Computer-Aided Design, the Iowa Institute for Biomedical Imaging, and IIHR—Hydroscience and Engineering.
The UI Carver College of Medicine
Proud to be the home of a number of specialized centers of care and research including the Iowa Institute for Biomedical Imaging.
Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
A high-performance computational and informational resource to help researchers learn about genetic basis of human disease and other biomedical phenomena. Also enables interdisciplinary research in basic life sciences and applied medicine.
Iowa Institute for Biomedical Imaging
Aims to foster multi-disciplinary and cross-college research and discovery in biomedical imaging and image analysis, and improve training and education.
Integrated DNA Technologies
Develops and sells short strands of DNA oligonucleotides.