Human Health
An Emerging Leader
The University of Iowa has made the Iowa City metro area a center for medical breakthroughs. Its FDA-registered pharmaceutical manufacturing facility is the largest of its kind and makes drugs for research and commercial sale. Hundreds of millions of dollars in medical research happen every year in the Iowa City area. A robust incubator infrastructure and support from state programs help faculty transfer their research into profitable enterprises. Spend five minutes with an entrepreneur at the University of Iowa Research Park — you’ll be amazed at what’s happening in Iowa.
#1
state in size of average venture capital deal
State Science & Technology Institute
#1
largest university-affiliated FDA-registered pharmaceutical manufacturing facility
University of Iowa Pharmaceuticals
22.2%
drugs and pharmaceuticals employment growth from 2012 to 2014
BIO, 2016
Drugs and Pharmaceutical Employment Gains and Losses (2012–2014)


Source: Biotechnology Innovation Organization, 2016
The State of Iowa Supports R&D
Iowa is one of only a few states to offer a refundable R&D tax credit at 6.5%.