INDIANAPOLIS — Purdue University is a leading partner in a large consortium looking to meet the state’s growing healthcare needs that won the National Science Foundation’s Regional Innovation Engines competition.
Announced on Tuesday (July 14), the grant award of up to $160 million over 10 years supports flourishing innovation ecosystems to spur economic growth in critical technologies and positions Indiana as a global research hub for musculoskeletal health.
Purdue University is partnering with more than 170 industry, clinical and academic organizations across Indiana to create a statewide innovation network focused on improving the prevention and treatment of musculoskeletal diseases.
Led by Indiana University, the consortium includes major partners such as Eli Lilly and Company, BioCrossroads, Zimmer Biomet and the University of Notre Dame. The collaboration aims to address health challenges caused by conditions such as osteoarthritis and osteoporosis, which impact quality of life and place significant demands on the healthcare system.
The project will help connect medical needs with new technologies and research solutions. Joseph Wallace, Purdue’s associate vice president for research development in Indianapolis and professor of biomedical engineering, said the partnership will help build a musculoskeletal health innovation ecosystem across Indiana.
The initiative follows the launch of Purdue’s Center for Musculoskeletal Engineering in Indianapolis, led by the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering and Wallace. The center uses engineering approaches to develop new methods for preventing and treating diseases affecting bones, joints and other parts of the musculoskeletal system. The work also supports Purdue’s One Health initiative, which focuses on the connections between human, animal and environmental health.
The consortium is supported by the National Science Foundation’s Regional Innovation Engines program, which works to strengthen regional innovation and economic growth. The effort is expected to generate an estimated $535 million in economic impact for Indiana while improving health outcomes for people across the state and beyond.
