By Mike Harris Thursday, May 1st, 2025

The BioScience Alliance in Westlake Village, Ventura County’s 2nd District, the Economic Development Collaborative and India’s Atal Incubation Centre have entered into an agreement aimed at accelerating biotech growth in the county.

The pact was announced May 1.

It will help Indian biotech companies expand into the U.S. market while providing Ventura County businesses with opportunities to collaborate, grow internationally, and access new scientific expertise and resources, the parties said. 

“This collaboration is a bold example of how regional and international alliances can unlock the full potential of the biotech sector,” Brent Reinke, founder and chair of the BioScience Alliance, a biotech support group, said in a press release.

“We are hopeful that it will lead to a biotech incubator being located in Ventura County,” he said. 

The partnership will foster cross-border innovation by supporting startup development, facilitating international soft landings, and establishing academic and industry partnerships between India and what the Biotech Alliance calls Ventura County’s portion of the 101 Biotech Corridor, Reinke said.

The corridor, through which Highway 101 runs, also includes the West San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County and Santa Barbara County.

The Economic Development Collaborative is a Camarillo-based business consulting nonprofit for Ventura and Santa Barbara counties.

The MOU stems from a Ventura County-led delegation to India in August 2024 and reflects a shared commitment to advancing biotechnology through global collaboration, the parties said.

Jeff Gorell, Ventura County’s 2nd District supervisor, directed the trip.

Gorell said the partnership reflects the momentum created by Gold Team Ventura County, which he launched in 2023, in attracting new opportunities and positioning the 101 corridor region as a global biotech destination. 

“We are proud to work alongside our partners to advance life sciences and establish a strong international network of innovators,” Gorell said. 

“Our ultimate goal is to bring business and jobs to our region by growing the biotech sector and creating new opportunities for success,” he said. 

The Atal Incubation Centre is one of India’s premier biotech incubators, supported by the government of India’s Atal Innovation Mission. 

Located in Hyderabad, the centre focuses on fostering early-stage life sciences companies working in areas such as molecular biology, genomics, drug development, and diagnostics. 

The incubator provides cutting-edge laboratory infrastructure, mentorship, and access to India’s scientific community through its affiliation with the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, a national research institute under the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research.