In this episode of the Leadership Exchange podcast, Tracy Lee talks with Maria Thacker-Goethe, President and CEO of Georgia Life Sciences, to discuss the future of life sciences in Georgia and beyond. They talk about the growth of the local biotech and medtech ecosystem, the critical need for stronger innovation pipelines, and how collaborations between tech and life sciences are reshaping the industry.

Maria shares insights on how AI, manufacturing, and public-private partnerships are driving change, the urgent need for federal investment to maintain U.S. leadership in biotech, and the realities of building a thriving life sciences workforce.

Key Points from this Episode:

- Georgia's life sciences ecosystem is growing rapidly, with strong university pipelines, a strategic location, and increasing focus on biomanufacturing—but continued collaboration and urgency are needed to stay competitive.

- Cuts to NIH, NSF, and BARDA threaten the U.S.’s leadership in biotech. Maria stresses that public-private partnerships and sustained R&D investment are essential to maintain global standing.

- AI, robotics, and advanced tech are transforming the sector. While life sciences move slower due to regulation, there's a growing opportunity to shorten timelines through thoughtful integration.

- Life sciences is a high-risk, high-reward investment space. Scientific, regulatory, and reimbursement hurdles make returns slower and more complex than in tech, but the impact can be massive.

Chapters

0:00 – The risks and rewards of biotech

01:17 – Atlanta’s life sciences ecosystem

02:46 – What Georgia Life Sciences does

05:11 – Georgia’s growth and competitive pressure

07:29 – Innovation showcases and female founders

10:14 – AI and emerging trends in life sciences

13:07 – Biotech timelines vs tech timelines

14:35 – How the US can stay globally competitive

18:23 – Workforce, manufacturing, and trade policy

24:02 – Investment risks in the life sciences sector

30:07 – Biotech startup lifecycle and acquisition path

32:43 – Where to learn more and stay connected

Follow Maria Thacker-Goethe on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariathacker/

Sponsored by This Dot Labs: thisdotlabs.com