It can be easy to grow complacent when business is thriving. But companies in Temple’s healthcare and tech industries find comfort in something different: the city’s collaborative and business-friendly environment that continues to push them to their highest potential.
Innovation in Temple happens because a network of businesses, research leaders and idea generators come together to do their best work. Companies that move to places like the Temple Health & Bioscience District and the Santa Fe Business Center become part of a conversation that is disrupting industries and driving business growth. In fact, the entire state of Texas has been ranked the best state for business by Chief Executive for 17 consecutive years.
Here is why companies—from longstanding businesses like Wilsonart Americas to early-stage startups like Sunthetics—choose to stay and innovate in Temple.
Powerful Partnerships in Health & Life Sciences
Arguably the biggest area of innovation in Temple is in healthcare. More than 40% of the city’s workforce is in the industry, working at a host of companies like Everest Rehabilitation Hospitals and Baylor Scott & White Health — the largest healthcare provider in Texas. These employers benefit from a deep talent pool found at institutions such as University of Mary Hardin-Baylor and Temple College’s Texas Bioscience Institute.
Temple Health and Bioscience District (THBD) is the foundation for the city’s life sciences ecosystem and is the only organization of its kind in Texas. Since 2015, THBD has helped 11 early-stage biotech startups like Sunthetics (recently featured on the Disney+ show “Own the Room” for Cofounder Daniela Blanco’s efforts to manufacture nylon without the use of fossil fuels) progress from concept to commercialization.
Temple works to innovate at national and global scale. In October 2020, THBD participated in the Texas Global Health Security Innovation Consortium, a collective of companies, universities, incubators and investors pooling resources to combat the pandemic. Later that year, BSW Institute also evaluated the efficacy of a COVID-19 screening solution from Israeli startup Newsight Imaging.
A Place for New Ideas
Health & life sciences isn’t the only sector recognizing growth in Central Texas. Fortune has ranked Temple among the top 10 U.S. Cities for Tech Jobs—no coincidence, as companies like PDI Software have been growing and innovating in Central Texas for years. Apple also expanded in the state with a $1 billion campus in Austin, which is only an hour drive from Temple.
Businesses looking for fertile ground for their new ideas need look no further than Temple. Located in the region since 2005, the Central Texas Business Resource Center has been the go-to non-profit business incubator for cross-industry support, offering business counseling, mentoring, incubation, training, and other services.
Several flexible office space options and coworking facilities are also available in Temple, such as Collaborate and LiquidSpace. These shared workspace options provide startups with access to commercial real estate that does not skimp on amenities like high-speed internet and conference rooms, but instead support the company’s desire to test out Temple before giving their full buy-in.
Temple’s collaborative industry clusters provide the innovative ground companies need for their ideas to grow into fully marketable end products. And with the city’s talented workforce and 15% lower cost of doing business than the national average, businesses can dream big with no reservations. Get in touch or visit our entrepreneurship page to learn more about innovation in Central Texas.