Down South - Atlanta has a healthy biosciences community with a rich mix of pharmaceutical, medical devices, diagnostic and medical supply companies; contract laboratory, preclinical and clinical research organizations; and world-class public and private institutions and universities.

Atlanta's Bioscience Cluster

More than 300 bioscience companies have operations in metro Atlanta. This number includes domestic headquarters and operations for major companies such as Kimberly-Clark, CR Bard, Stryker, Sanofi-Aventis and Pfizer. Major international employers include Ciba Vision Corporation, Siemens, Columbian Chemicals Company, Akzo Nobel Coatings, Merial Limited, Lafarge Materials and UCB Pharma.

Large-scale health organizations bolster Atlanta's reputation as a center for global health. The city is home to the headquarters of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), American Cancer Society and the Arthritis Foundation. The Carter Center, Task Force for Global Health, CARE and Habitat for Humanity also have headquarters in Atlanta.

Georgia has embraced the life sciences industry because of its ongoing and positive economic impact, and developed multiple programs that encourage growth. Metro Atlanta and the state share a business friendly reputation. Life sciences companies have access to tax credits, sales tax exemptions, job training, cash grants and property tax relief.

The 2011 Shaping Infinity Study shows that the life sciences industry and university research, plus the U.S. CDC, employ more than 105,000 people in the state of Georgia. The bioscience industry alone employs more than 75,000 people.

Education

As a top higher education center with more than 57 colleges and universities enrolling more than 250,000 students annually, metro Atlanta maintains a strong pipeline of talent entering the workforce. Metro Atlanta's population is younger (median age of 34.4 years) and better educated (34.1% hold a Bachelor's degree or higher) than the national average.

Metro Atlanta's eight technical colleges enroll more than 48,000 students a year and offer studies in more than 50 disciplines. They are a vital workforce training and retooling resource for the local business communities.
Research facilities at Emory University, Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Morehouse School of Medicine, University of Georgia and Georgia Health Sciences University are abundant and continue to grow. Many of these schools benefit from the Georgia Research Alliance (GRA), an independent non-profit entity that facilitates research among industry and academic entities. Since 1990, a multitude of renowned scientists have been recruited to metro Atlanta through GRA's Eminent Scholars program.

The Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University provide a joint biomedical engineering degree program that is ranked second in the nation, and has become a model for successful and innovative research collaboration. Both schools anchor several centers of excellence including the Biomedical Technology Research Center and the Center for Behavioral Neuroscience. Along with Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, those same schools recently launched a first-of-its kind research center that links healthcare to engineering and is devoted to pediatric nanomedicine.

Atlanta, Capital of the U.S. Southeast

The Atlanta Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) is the business capital of the southeastern U.S. and a global business hub. The Southeast's population exceeds 77 million and employment is greater than 37 million. GDP in the Southeast measured $2.9 trillion in 2008, 22% of the U.S.

If the Southeast were a country, it would have the seventh highest GDP in the world, larger than the GDP of all but six countries: China, France, Germany, Japan, the U.S. and the United Kingdom. Metro Atlanta is the second fastest growing metro in the U.S. and has the 10th largest GDP in the U.S.

Atlanta is the capital city of the state of Georgia. The City of Atlanta is governed by a mayor and a 15-member city council that is managed by the council president. The 28 counties that make up metro Atlanta are individually governed by boards of commissioners, city councils and mayors.

Gateway to the U.S. and the World

The metro Atlanta area offers market access to destinations around the U.S. and the world. Metro Atlanta is a global logistics gateway, one of the nation's top distribution hubs, and is often described as one of the largest inland ports in the world. More than 80% of U.S. consumers can be reached from metro Atlanta in two hours by air or two days by truckload delivery.

In 2010, nearly 90 million passengers passed through the world's most-traveled airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, of which nine million were international passengers. International non-stop service is available to more than 80 international cities in 50 countries.

Metro Atlanta is located just a few hours away from the Port of Savannah, the fourth busiest container port in the U.S. The Port is connected with Atlanta via a system of railroad lines and highways, making the transport of goods to Atlanta a quick and easy process. Containers entering through Savannah can be unloaded and transferred to a train and arrive in Atlanta by the next morning. Products can then continue on to their destination via rail or truck.

Ethnic And Cultural Diversity

Metro Atlanta is currently home to more than 5.2 million people, of which more than 700,000 were born in foreign countries. Atlanta's population is made up of newcomers from throughout the United States, Latin America, Europe, Africa and all parts of Asia. In fact, between 2008 to 2009, more than 20,000 people moved to metro Atlanta internationally - greater than the amount of people who moved to metro Atlanta domestically.
The metro area is home to more than 2,800 foreign-owned business locations. Currently, 65 countries have representation in Atlanta in the form of a consulate or trade office. In addition, the Atlanta area hosts many bi-national chambers of commerce, and organizations designed to strengthen metro Atlanta's ties around the world.