Oregon's bioscience industry is recognized for its contributions to the health and well-being of our people, and there is a growing awareness of its positive impact on our state's economy and on each community in which bioscience companies and institutions operate. These contributions are primarily made through job creation at all levels of the employment spectrum, from assembly-line workers to executive staff. This industry, perhaps more than any other, has directly contributed to improvements in our life expectancy and quality of life.

The scope of Oregon's bioscience industry includes research and development, and the manufacturing and sales of medical instruments and devices; medical diagnostics; human and animal therapeutics; pharmaceutical intermediates and processes; food and agricultural products; reagents and services based on biotechnology; and computer systems and software for managing health care technology and services. The largest industry subgroups include medical devices, sponsored life science research, diagnostics, research services and equipment, biotechnology and biological product manufacturing.