[Texas Medical Center - Helix Park Grand Opening]
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I'M THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER, AND I'M SO DELIGHTED TO HAVE Y'ALL HERE FOR THIS VERY SPECIAL DAY THAT WE'VE BEEN WAITING THE GREATER PART OF A DECADE.
WE HAVE BEEN WORKING COLLECTIVELY ON THE DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT, NOT ONLY OF THIS INCREDIBLE TM C3 BUILDING, BUT ALSO TMC HELIX PARK.
I'M GONNA KICK IT OFF WITH A BRIEF VIDEO BEFORE I BRING UP OUR SPECIAL GUEST.
I'M MCING, UM, TOGETHER WITH, UH, DR.
PETER PISTERS HERE FROM MD ANDERSON CANCER CENTER, DR.
GIUSEPPE CALIS SARTO FROM UT HEALTH AND CHANCELLOR JOHN SHARP FROM TEXAS A AND M.
SO, UH, WE'LL ALL BE JOINING YOU SHORTLY, BUT WE'RE GONNA START OFF WITH A BRIEF VIDEO.
SINCE ITS FOUNDING, HOUSTON HAS BEEN A CITY OF DREAMERS, ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING CITIES IN THE NATION.
VISIONARIES OPTIMISTS A BEACON OF POTENTIAL HANDSOME DYNAMIC HOUSTON.
HOUSTON IS A CITY THAT LOOKED BEYOND THE HORIZON TO THE FUTURE.
A CITY THAT'S ATTRACTED IDEALISTS, A THOUSAND NEW PEOPLE A WEEK, INNOVATORS THE ARCHITECTS OF OUR FUTURE.
IN THIS RICH TRADITION, WE ARE CONTINUING TO BUILD, BUILDING A SPACE FOR CRITICAL THINKERS, ENGINEERS, SCIENTISTS, A SPACE FOR THE CURIOUS TO EXPERIMENT.
A NEXT GENERATION ECOSYSTEM OF LIFE, SCIENCE, RESEARCH, AND MEDICINE IN A CITY.
AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE MEDICAL SCIENCE COMMUNITY LIES AN UNPARALLELED OPPORTUNITY FOR RESEARCH AND COLLABORATION.
A PLACE TO BRING THE LATEST IN MEDICAL ADVANCEMENT CLOSER TO PATIENTS.
TMC HELIX PARK IS A PLACE FOR THE GREATEST MINDS OF OUR GENERATION TO BRING INSTITUTIONAL AND ACADEMIC RESEARCH TOGETHER TO PUSH THE BOUNDARIES OF HUMAN POTENTIAL.
IN HOUSTON, A MELTING POT OF CULTURE WITH A POTENTIAL FOR GROWTH LIKE NEVER BEFORE.
WE ARE LAYING THE FOUNDATION FOR A MORE EQUITABLE AND SUSTAINABLE FUTURE ON THE CUTTING EDGE OF INNOVATION, JUST LIKE THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE US.
WE CAN'T PREDICT THE FUTURE, BUT WE CAN DEFINE IT, SHAPE IT.
THE FUTURE IS NOT ON A SCREEN, IT'S IN A LAB.
IT'S WHATEVER WE CAN DREAM IT TO BE.
AND IT'S RIGHT HERE IN HOUSTON.
COME BUILD THE FUTURE WITH US.
SO THERE WERE MANY PEOPLE THAT MADE THIS POSSIBLE.
UM, AND FIRST AND FOREMOST, UH, IN A MOMENT, I'M GONNA BRING UP OUR GOVERNOR, GREG ABBOTT, UM, OUR 48TH GOVERNOR OF TEXAS.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNOW THIS TRIVIA, BUT HE ACTUALLY SERVED AS THE LONGEST STANDING ATTORNEY GENERAL IN TEXAS HISTORY.
THAT'S SOME LONG HISTORY, AND THAT'S QUITE IMPRESSIVE.
BUT I THINK THAT WHAT I WANNA REMARK ON IS THAT GOVERNOR ABBOTT HAD, GOING BACK NINE YEARS, WE WERE MEETING WITH HIM AND REALLY ASKING FOR HIS SUPPORT TO DO THIS VERY NEW THING.
IMAGINE NEVER IN OUR 75 PLUS YEAR HISTORY HAVE WE EVER BUILT A BUILDING TOGETHER.
HAVE WE EVER FINANCED A BUILDING TOGETHER? UM, AND THAT ADDS A LOT OF COMPLICATION WHEN YOU HAVE SOME STATE INSTITUTIONS AND SOME PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS.
UM, BUT HE WAS REALLY STEADFAST.
I I USED TO SERVE ON HIS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE, AND I'D SEE HIM ONCE A QUARTER, AND HIS FIRST QUESTION WAS, HOW ARE WE DOING WITH TMC THREE? HOW IS IT GOING ALONG? WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP? PLEASE CALL ON ME TO HELP IN ANY WAY.
AND HE WAS GREATLY SUPPORTIVE OF OUR FOUNDING MEMBER INSTITUTIONS ALONG THE WAY.
SO, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, INVITE THE GOVERNOR TO COME JOIN US, AND PLEASE GIVE HIM A WARM TEXAS WELCOME.
AND I GOTTA TELL YOU, THIS IS JUST ABSOLUTELY AWESOME.
UH, AS BILL WAS TALKING ABOUT, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I'VE BEEN TALKING
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TO THE LEADERSHIP ABOUT AROUND HERE EVER SINCE I WAS FIRST ELECTED TO BE GOVERNOR AS A PERSON WHO BEGAN MY CAREER IN HOUSTON, TEXAS, I WAS THOROUGHLY FAMILIAR, UH, WITH THE TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER AND ITS PIVOTAL ROLE, NOT JUST IN TEXAS, BUT IN THE UNITED STATES.AND TO GET TO SPEND QUITE LITERALLY YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR OF SEEING SCHEMATICS AND DRAWINGS AND PROPOSALS TO GET TO SEE THIS PHYSICALLY IN PERSON.
I GOTTA TELL YOU WHAT YOU'VE DONE FAR EXCEEDS ANYTHING THAT WAS PUT ON PAPER.
THIS IS ABSOLUTELY EXTRAORDINARY.
UH, THIS IS ICONIC, NOT JUST FOR HOUSTON AND TEXAS, BUT FOR THE UNITED STATES AND THE ENTIRE GLOBE.
BILL, I WANT TO THANK YOU AND YOUR LEADERSHIP.
I WANNA THANK, UH, THE OTHER FOLKS WHO WILL BE JOINING US HERE TODAY, KNOWING THAT EVERYBODY PLAYS A ROLE IN THIS.
NOTHING LIKE THIS HAPPENS WITH ONE PERSON OR TWO PEOPLE, OR ONE OR TWO GROUPS.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT TAKES A LOT OF PEOPLE.
BUT ALSO, ONE THING THAT'S SO IMPORTANT ABOUT THIS FACILITY IS THE WAY THAT SO MANY DIFFERENT GROUPS HAVE COME TOGETHER TO COLLABORATE ON THIS EFFORT, AND THAT WILL MAKE THIS EFFORT EVEN FAR MORE SUCCESSFUL.
SO, BILL, YES, I WANT TO THANK YOU, BUT ALSO DR.
PITS, UH, CHANCELLOR SHARP AND MAYOR TURNER AND, AND SO MANY OTHERS.
LET ME MAKE ONE KIND OF PRIMARY POINT AND TIE SEVERAL THINGS TOGETHER.
TEXAS, TEXAS TRULY IS THE HOME OF INNOVATION.
OUR ENERGY INNOVATIONS ARE LEGENDARY, AS ARE OUR INNOVATIONS IN SPACE.
FROM THE TIME OF NASA TO THE TIME OF SPACEX TO BEYOND TEXAS IS THE HOME OF SOMETHING A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW ABOUT.
TEXAS IS THE HOME OF THE ARMY FUTURES COMMAND, WHERE THE UNITED STATES ARMY IS WORKING TO PRESERVE AND TO PERPETUATE THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA BY REDESIGNING HOW WE WILL ENGAGE IN WARFARE IN THE FUTURE.
AND IN DOING SO, THEY ARE EMPLOYING AND DEVELOPING THE INNOVATIVE STRATEGIES OF TOMORROW THAT IN INCLUDE THINGS LIKE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, CYBERSECURITY, AND OUTER SPACE.
TEXAS IS THE BIRTHPLACE OF THE INTEGRATED CIRCUIT, AND WE'VE TAKEN FROM THAT STEP AND GONE ON AND BECOME THE NUMBER ONE STATE IN AMERICA FOR SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING.
TEXAS ALSO RANKS NUMBER ONE IN THE UNITED STATES FOR HIGH TECH EXPORTS FOR EIGHT YEARS IN A ROW.
TEXAS IS THE HOME OF INNOVATIVE COMPANIES LIKE TESLA, A LEADING INTERNATIONAL INNOVATOR IN THINGS LIKE BATTERIES, ENERGY, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, ROBOTICS, AND OF COURSE, EVS.
TEXAS IS THE HOME OF INTELLECTUAL INNOVATION BY LEADING THE COUNTRY IN THE MOST TIER ONE RESEARCH UNIVERSITIES.
BUT THE POINT THAT I WANT TO CONNECT HERE IS THAT LONG BEFORE ALL OF THAT INNOVATION THAT WE WERE SEEING IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, TEXAS WAS THE HOME OF THE TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER, LONG RECOGNIZED INTERNATIONALLY AS AN INNOVATIVE CENTER OF ADVANCED HEALTHCARE AND THE LARGEST MEDICAL CENTER IN THE ENTIRE WORLD.
NOW, THIS WORLD CLASS MEDICAL CENTER HAS GIVEN BIRTH TO THE NEXT GENERATION OF INNOVATION.
IT'S A NATURAL HUB OF MEDICAL RESEARCH THAT COMBINES RENOWNED RESEARCHERS AND HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS, FIRST CLASS UNIVERSITIES, THE LARGEST CANCER RESEARCH INVESTMENT IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, JOINING FORCES WITH PRIVATE SECTOR LEADERS AND VENTURE CAPITAL, DRAWING UPON TEXAS'S PROUD TRADITION OF INNOVATION.
THIS PROJECT UNITES INTELLECTUAL GIANTS AND TITANS OF INDUSTRY.
UNDER THE BANNER OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH, THIS STATE OF THE ART FACILITY WILL SPUR GROUNDBREAKING DISCOVERIES AND LIFESAVING TREATMENTS RIGHT HERE IN HOUSTON, TEXAS.
IT OFFERS A GLIMPSE OF THE BETTER AND BRIGHTER TOMORROW THAT IS ON THE HORIZON OF OUR GREAT STATE.
TMC DOES MORE THAN JUST SAVE LIVES.
HOWEVER, THIS AN EXTRAORDINARILY IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF THE ROBUST AND THRIVING ECONOMY
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OF TEXAS.THEY WILL EMPLOY MORE THAN A HUNDRED THOUSAND TEXANS, AND WITH THE ADDITION OF TM C3, THEY WILL BE ADDING TENS OF THOUSANDS OF NEW JOBS AND GENERATE AN ADDITIONAL MORE THAN $5 BILLION IN ECONOMIC ACTIVITY EVERY SINGLE YEAR.
THEY ARE PART OF THE JOBS MACHINE THAT WE HAVE IN TEXAS THIS LAST MONTH AND THIS LAST YEAR, TEXAS HAS ADDED FAR MORE NEW JOBS THAN ANY OTHER STATE IN AMERICA WITH WHAT WE HAVE IN THIS FACILITY AND WHAT IT WILL LEAD TO, WILL SPUR EVEN MORE JOBS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS AND ECONOMIC ACTIVITY.
THIS TIME IN THE LIFE SCIENCES AREA.
TEXAS ALREADY TODAY HAS A $2.4 TRILLION ECONOMY A YEAR, MAKING TEXAS THE EIGHTH LARGEST ECONOMY IN THE WORLD.
WITH THIS ADVANCEMENT, IT WILL FURTHER DIVERSIFY OUR ECONOMY AND FURTHER GROW OUR ECONOMY SO THAT THIS TIME NEXT YEAR, TEXAS MAY HAVE THE SEVENTH LARGEST ECONOMY IN THE ENTIRE WORLD.
EVER SINCE TEXAS WAS FIRST SETTLED, PIONEERS HAVE BEEN COMING HERE TO ACHIEVE THE IMPOSSIBLE.
WITH THE COMBINED EFFORTS OF TMC MD ANDERSON, UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, TEXAS A AND M, AND UT HEALTH HOUSTON, AND ALL OF THE BRIGHTEST MINDS IN MEDICINE AND LIFE SCIENCE, TEXAS IS ADVANCING HEALTHCARE BREAKTHROUGHS TO SOLVE THE HEALTHCARE NEEDS OF TOMORROW, ACHIEVING THE IMPOSSIBLE ONCE AGAIN, AND SAVING MILLIONS OF LIVES IN THE PROCESS.
SO, THANKS AGAIN TO BILL MCKEN, TO TMC FOR THE REMARKABLE CONTRIBUTIONS THAT YOU'RE MAKING TO HEALTHCARE.
THE TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER IS PROVING THAT 187 YEARS AFTER TEXAS WAS FOUNDED, THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A BETTER TIME TO BE A TEXAN TO COMMEMORATE.
I BROUGHT WITH ME A PROCLAMATION FROM THE STATE OF TEXAS, UH, IN RECOGNITION OF TMC THREE'S COL COLLABORATIVE BUILDING, THE HELIX PARK, AND EVERYTHING THAT'S BEING ACHIEVED TODAY.
AND I WANNA PRESENT IT TO BILL MCKEEN AT THIS TIME.
THE, UM, THIS WAS QUITE A SURPRISE, AND I ACCEPT THIS ON BEHALF OF MY, MY FELLOW COLLEAGUES AT MD ANDERSON UT HEALTH AND A AND M.
UM, NEXT UP WE HAVE, UH, MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER.
HE SERVED SINCE 2015, 27 YEARS.
HE SPENT IN THE, THE, AS A REPRESENTATIVE IN THE TEXAS HOUSE.
HE'S BEEN A HUGE SUPPORTER AS WELL FOR TMC HELIX PARK.
I ALSO WANT TO CALL OUT ANDY IKIN, WHO HAS DONE A REALLY REMARKABLE JOB HELPING US ALL ALONG THE WAY.
UM, AND SOMETHING VERY UNIQUE IN THE FIRST ON THE WATCH WITH OUR MAYOR, CREATED THE MEDICAL CENTER TOURS AND WHY THIS IS POWERFUL.
THAT'S A, UH, TAX, UM, INNOVATION, RE REINVESTMENT ZONE.
WHAT THAT MEANS IS TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER, AS YOU KNOW, NOT-FOR-PROFIT, DOES NOT PRODUCE TAXES.
NOT GREAT IF YOU'RE A MAYOR OF A CITY THAT COLLECTS HIS TAXES.
BUT NOW WITH THIS CAMPUS, DUE TO OUR TMC BOARD AND THE APPROVAL, WE NOW CAN HAVE FOR-PROFIT ENTITIES, AS YOU SEE ON THIS CAMPUS, ALL OF THE TAXES THAT COME FOR THAT WILL ACTUALLY GO INTO THE TOURS, AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO INVEST THOSE DOLLARS TO PUT MORE BIKE PATHS, MORE PARKS, MORE BIKE LANES, BETTER CONNECT TO HERMAN PARK, THE ZOO, AND REALLY TIE THIS MEDICAL CENTER TOGETHER IN A REALLY, UH, WONDERFUL WAY.
SO, WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE TO YOU MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER.
UM, LET ME THANK BILL MCKEN FOR, FOR HIS OUTSTANDING, UH, WORK AND, AND FOR HIS LEADERSHIP.
UM, IT'S A VERY EXCITING AND IMPORTANT DAY, UH, FOR THE TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER, FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON, FOR TEXAS AS A WHOLE.
AS WE CELEBRATE THE OPENING OF THE TMC COLLABORATIVE BUILDING AND THE LAUNCH OF THE HELIX PARK, UH, IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE WITH BILL, UH, THE TMC PARTNERS, UH, THE BOARD, UH, FOR ALL OF THE FOUNDING MEMBERS.
IT'S AN HONOR TO BE WITH EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU TO GOVERNOR ABBOTT.
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UH, BE WITH YOU AND APPRECIATE YOUR REMARKS THIS MORNING.UM, LOOK, LEMME JUST SAY HOW EXCITING, HOW EXCITING IT IS.
UH, BERNARD HARRIS ON THE VIDEO SAID, COME BUILD THE FUTURE WITH US.
UM, AND WE ARE HERE, AND THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT, AND THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT FOR THE STATE OF TEXAS, AND A LOT OF THINGS WILL TAKE PLACE AS A RESULT OF US HERE TODAY.
WE'LL SAVE LIVES, WE'LL SAVE FAMILIES.
IT'LL BE AN ECONOMIC ENGINE, UH, FOR SO MANY HOUSTON IS PROUD, UH, TO BE THE HOME OF THE TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER WITH WORLD RENOWNED MEMBERS THAT PROVIDE THE HIGHEST QUALITY PATIENT CARE AND RESEARCH, UH, ALL ON ONE CAMPUS.
THERE COULD BE NO BETTER MEDICAL COMPLEX, UH, WHERE YOU FIND YOURSELF IN NEED, UH, THAN RIGHT HERE, UH, IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, WITH OVER 60 PLUS MEMBER INSTITUTIONS CONDUCT CONDUCTING 2000 CLINICAL TRIALS ANNUALLY, HOSTING 225 PLUS LIFE SCIENCE STARTUPS.
HELIX PARK IS THE VISION FOR THE FUTURE AND CONTINUES THE 75 YEAR HISTORY OF THE TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER.
THE 250,000 SQUARE FOOT TMC COLLABORATIVE BUILDING INCORPORATES RESEARCH INITIATIVES FOR THE FOUR FOUNDING INSTITUTIONS.
ONE THING THAT I'VE LEARNED IN ONE THING THAT WE KNOW IN HOUSTON, INDIVIDUALLY, YOU CAN DO THINGS VERY WELL COLLECTIVELY.
AND ONE THING ABOUT THIS CITY, UM, COLLABORATION IS THE KEY.
AND WHEN WE PLAY WELL TOGETHER, WHEN WE BUILD AN INTEGRATED ROBUST ECOSYSTEM, EVERYONE, EVERYONE WINS.
AND THAT'S THE WAY WE OPERATE.
AS I SAID, WHEN WE WERE HERE LAST YEAR, HOUSTON ALREADY HAS A PLACE ON THE WORLD STAGE AS A LEADER IN CLINICAL CARE, RESEARCH, AND MEDICAL EDUCATION.
AND NOW, WITH THE COMPLETION OF THE TM C3 COLLABORATIVE BUILDING AND LARGER TM C3 HELIX CAMPUS, WE SHOWCASE IN OUR UNDERLINED SHOWCASE WHY OUR CITY LEADS IN THE AREAS OF INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY.
IN THE PROCESS, WE HAVE CREATED OPPORTUNITIES TO BRING NEW PARTNERS AND INDUSTRY TO OUR CITY AND GENERATE NEW JOBS FOR THE RESIDENTS OF THE GREATER HOUSTON COMMUNITY.
THIS NEW SPACE WILL LEAD TO MORE COLLABORATION AND INNOVATION, TO CURE CANCER AND MAKE OTHER BREAKTHROUGHS BY BRINGING TOGETHER INSTITUTIONS, INDUSTRY PARTNERS, ENTREPRENEURS, RESEARCHERS, AND THE COMMUNITY ITSELF.
BECAUSE WITH ALL THAT WE DO, IF THE COMMUNITY DOESN'T BENEFIT, THEN WE STILL FALL FOR SHORT.
ONE THING ABOUT TMC, ONE THING ABOUT THE TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER IS THAT WE OPEN THE DOORS AND MAKE WHAT WE DO ON THIS CAMPUS AVAILABLE NOT ONLY TO PEOPLE IN OUR CITY, BUT IT IS SO WELL DONE THAT LITERALLY MILLIONS OF PEOPLE COME FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD TO TAKE ADVANTAGE AND BENEFIT FROM WHAT WE OFFER.
WHEN I TRAVEL THE WORLD ON TRADE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MISSIONS WITH MY TEAM AND WITH OTHER REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR, FOREIGN BUSINESS LEADERS ARE CURIOUS ABOUT THE HOUSTON REGION'S MOMENTUM IN THE LIFE SCIENCE INDUSTRY TODAY.
TODAY IS A TESTAMENT TO OUR STANDING, NOT JUST AS THE HOME OF THE WORLD LARGEST MEDICAL COMPLEX, BUT ALSO EXPANDING OUR MISSION AND VISION TO INCLUDE LIFE SCIENCE COMMERCIALIZATION.
A REPORT LAST YEAR RANKED HOUSTON IN THE TOP 10 LIFE SCIENCE MARKETS IN THE UNITED STATES.
AFTER LOOKING AT FACTORS SUCH AS HAVING AN EDUCATED WORKFORCE WITH BACKGROUNDS IN SCIENCE, ENGINEERING, ON ENGINEERING RELATED FIELD, WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE TODAY AND WHAT WILL UNFOLD IN YEARS TO COME WILL ONLY INCREASE THAT RANKING.
AND EARLIER THIS YEAR, AS BILL INDICATED, HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL VOTED TO CREATE A NEW TAX INCREMENT REINVESTMENT ZONE IN THE TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER TO SUPPORT AND ENHANCE THE CRITICAL WORK BEING DONE BY UPGRADING THE
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MEDICAL CENTER INFRASTRUCTURE.LASTLY, IN ADDITION TO THE LIFESAVING DISCOVERIES THAT WILL BE MADE HERE, IT IS EXCITING TO KNOW THAT TMC HELIX PARK WILL PROVIDE PROGRAM SPACE FOR THE HOUSTON COMMUNITY WITH FIVE PARKS, 18.27 ACRES OF PUBLIC GREEN SPACE THAT WILL ADD TO THE VIBRANCY OF OUR COMMUNITY.
IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT BUILDING BUILDINGS, IT'S JUST NOT ABOUT ENHANCING COMMERCIALIZATION, BUT IT'S RECOGNIZING THAT WE MUST WORK COLLABORATIVELY IN BUILDING GREEN SPACE AND CREATING AN ENVIRONMENT THAT IS CONDUCIVE TO PEOPLE HEALTHY LIVING.
I WANNA THANK ALL THE INSTITUTIONS FOR WHAT THEY'VE DONE.
I WANT TO THANK PORTO VENTURES, A LIFE SCIENCE VENTURE CAPITAL FIRM THAT WILL OPERATE 30,000 SQUARE FEET OF WORLD CLASS LABS.
BUT I'M EXCITED ABOUT WHAT THE FUTURE WILL BRING AND THE PLACE OF JUST A HUMAN TOUCH TO IT.
WHY DO WE DO WHAT WE DO? AND WHY ARE WE EXPANDING TMC AND THE TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER? WE'RE EXPANDING TO SAVE PEOPLE'S LIVES AND TO PROVIDE THEM WITH A BETTER FUTURE.
AND THE WORK THAT IS BEING DONE HERE IS TRANSFORMATIONAL.
I AM A, A BYPRODUCT, A BENEFACTOR OF WHAT IS DONE RIGHT HERE.
PISTON MD ANDERSON IS EXCEPTIONAL.
YOU CAN BUILD BUILDINGS, BUT IT'S THE PEOPLE WITHIN THESE BUILDINGS THAT ARE GIVING FUTURES TO FOLK WHO OTHERWISE MIGHT NOT HAVE HAD IT.
AND QUITE FRANKLY, QUITE FRANKLY, NOT ONE OF US KNOW WHEN THE NEED WILL BE THERE.
BUT AS MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND SOMEONE WHO IS A BENEFACTOR, WHAT'S TAKEN HERE IN THE MEDICAL CENTER, WE ARE BUILDING IN ORDER TO ASSIST THOSE WHO ONE DAY MAY FIND THE NEED.
AND THE GOOD NEWS IS BEING DONE RIGHT HERE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AS A NATIVE HOUSTONIAN WHO WAS BORN AT HERMAN, TREATED AT MD WITH WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE TODAY, LET'S NOT LOSE FOCUS THAT IS BEYOND THE BUILDING, BUT IT'S ABOUT THE PEOPLE AND THE SERVICES THAT ARE BEING PROVIDED THAT WILL TRANSFORM LIVES.
AND IT'S HAPPENING RIGHT HERE IN THE GREAT CITY OF HOUSTON.
I COULD NOT BE MORE PROUD, AND I HOPE YOU ARE PROUD AS WELL.
THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT AND THE BEST FOR THE MEDICAL CENTER FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
THE STATE OF TEXAS, QUITE FRANKLY, HAS YET TO COME.
THANK YOU FOR WHAT'S HAPPENING.
PISTERS, BUT I JUST WANNA SAY A FEW WORDS ABOUT DR.
PISTERS, AND THIS KIND OF CARRIES ON WHAT, UH, MAYOR SYLVESTER WAS TALKING ABOUT.
THERE'S NOT A WEEK OR TWO THAT GO BY THAT I DON'T GET A CALL FROM SOMEONE AROUND THE WORLD.
SOMEONE'S DAUGHTER, SOMEONE'S SISTER, UM, HAS CANCER.
AND SO I PICK UP MY PHONE AND I TEXT DR.
PISTERS AND I HEAR BACK FROM HIM SOMETIMES IMMEDIATELY NO MORE THAN 10 OR 15 MINUTES.
AND WHAT'S AMAZING IS THAT PATIENT'S FAMILY IS GETTING A CALL WITHIN AN HOUR.
THEY'RE SET UP TO COME HERE WITHIN A DAY OR TWO.
I CAN'T TELL YOU THE RELIEF, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT THIS, THE THINGS THAT DR.
PISTERS AND CALLADO C ON A DAILY BASIS, UM, THAT REALLY CUTS TO THE CORE OF WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT.
BUT HE DOES IT WITH SUCH GRACE AND SPEED, WHICH AT THAT TIME A FAMILY'S LIFE IS IN THE WORST CRISIS EVER.
AND THE AMOUNT OF FEEDBACK THAT I'VE HAD, UM, FROM THAT, IT JUST REALLY SPEAKS TO DR.
PISTERS WITH ALL OF HIS GREAT ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
HE'S A RENOWNED CANCER SURGEON, A RESEARCHER, HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATOR, MD ANDERSON.
I ONE, ONE PERSON ONCE SAID, WHEN YOU'RE NUMBER ONE, THERE'S NO PLACE TO GO BUT DOWN.
SO HE IS THE NUMBER ONE CANCER CENTER IN THE WORLD, NOT A BAD PLACE TO BE.
UM, AND THAT REALLY HAS TO DO WITH SOME JUST AMAZING LEADERSHIP THAT HE'S HAD, UH, SINCE HE JOINED US.
UH, I THINK IT'S ONLY BEEN SEVEN YEARS NOW, BUT HE IS MADE SUCH A MARK ON MD ANDERSON.
HE MAKES A MARK EVERY DAY WITH PEOPLE FROM AROUND THE WORLD.
SO I'M VERY PROUD TO, UH, INVITE TO THE STAGE.
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PISTERS.IT'S, UH, GREAT TO BE WITH ALL OF YOU AND TO CELEBRATE WHAT AN UNBELIEVABLE MILESTONE THIS IS FOR TEXAS, FOR THE TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER AND FOR THE FUTURE OF HUMANITY.
UH, GOVERNOR ABBOTT, UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE AND FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
WITHOUT YOUR SUPPORT, THIS PROJECT WOULD'VE NEVER HAPPENED.
WE'RE JUST SO GRATEFUL TO YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT ALL ALONG THE WAY.
MAYOR TURNER, UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR ENDURING VISION AND SUPPORT FOR THIS PROJECT.
UM, YOU UNDERSTOOD THE BENEFIT THAT THIS WOULD CREATE FOR DIVERSIFYING HOUSTON'S ECONOMY, THE IMPACT THAT IT WOULD HAVE ON EXTENDING THE TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER IN WAYS THAT NONE OF US COULD EVER REALLY IMAGINE.
UH, BILL, JOHN AND GIUSEPPE, THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP.
UH, THE COLLABORATION THAT REALLY WE BUILT HAS ALLOWED THIS TO HAPPEN AND IS A MODEL FOR OTHERS, AND SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GONNA CARRY INTO AN EXCITING FUTURE TOGETHER.
I'M SO EXCITED ABOUT THE FUTURE OF LIFE SCIENCES IN HOUSTON, AND I KNOW THAT ALL OF YOU ARE TOO.
UM, IT'S AMAZING TO SEE WHAT WAS ONCE THE BROWN LOT, A PARKING LOT TRANSFORMED INTO SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
AND WHEN WE LOOK, UH, AROUND THIS BUILDING, WHEN WE LOOK THROUGH THIS COMPLEX, WHEN CAN SEE THE FUTURE OF HOUSTON, WE CAN SEE THE IMPACT THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE FOR HUMANITY.
THIS BUILDING WILL SERVE AS A SPACE FOR UNBELIEVABLE LECTURES, FOR NOBEL LAUREATES, FOR PEOPLE TO COME AND CONGREGATE FOR INNOVATIVE IDEAS, FOR LATTES AND LAPTOPS IS GOING TO BE AN INCREDIBLE ENVIRONMENT, UH, FOR OUR RESEARCH COMMUNITY, FOR OUR INDUSTRY PARTNERS, FOR VENTURE CAPITAL THAT WILL COME HERE BECAUSE OF THE MAGNETIC EFFECTS OF THE TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER AND WHAT WE CAN BRING FORWARD.
AS WE DO THAT, THIS BUILDING WILL BE THE HOME FOR TWO OF MD ANDERSON'S MOST IMPORTANT SCIENTIFIC INSTITUTES, THE JAMES P. ALLISON INSTITUTE THAT IS GOING TO PUSH THE FRONTIERS OF IMMUNO-ONCOLOGY FOR CANCER PATIENTS AROUND THE WORLD.
UM, OUR INSTITUTE FOR DATA SCIENCE AND ONCOLOGY, WHICH WILL POWER DATA SCIENCE, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, WILL MOVE US INTO A NEW WORLD THAT USES DATA IN UNBELIEVABLE WAYS.
THOSE TWO INSTITUTES WILL BE HOUSED RIGHT HERE.
THERE'LL BE SYNERGIES BETWEEN THEM AND THE OTHER INHABITANTS OF THIS BUILDING AND THIS COMPLEX.
WE'RE SO EXCITED TO SEE THAT COLLABORATION FLOURISH.
I WANT TO SHARE MY FINAL THANKS WITH DAVID MANTI, UH, FROM ELISS MANTI AND HIS TEAM.
UH, THEY WERE AN UNBELIEVABLE TEAM TO WORK WITH.
UH, THEY WERE SO BEHIND THIS PROJECT.
THEY BRING UNBELIEVABLE AMOUNTS OF CREATIVITY AND TALENT, INSIGHTS, LEARNINGS FROM OTHER JURISDICTIONS LIKE BOSTON, UH, THAT WE COMPETE WITH, UM, OUR ABILITY TO ENGAGE OUR RESEARCH COMMUNITY WITH YOU, DAVID, AND YOUR TEAM HAS RESULTED IN UNBELIEVABLE, INCREDIBLE FACILITIES FOR THE FUTURE OF MD ANDERSON AND OUR ABILITY TO MOVE THIS FORWARD.
NICK YOUNG KIM, WE ARE SO GRATEFUL TO YOU FOR THE LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE.
ALL OF US CAN SEE IT WHEN WE WALK UP TO THE BUILDING.
SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE TEXT MESSAGED ME TO SAY, OH, I WAS OVER THERE.
AND THE IMPACT THAT WE HAVE, AS MAYOR TURNER WAS SAYING, BY EXTENDING THE GREEN SPACE FROM WHERE WE ARE NOW, ALL THE WAY TO HERMAN PARK WILL BE ABSOLUTELY UNBELIEVABLE.
YOUNG PEOPLE COME TO A CITY LIKE HOUSTON BECAUSE THEY WANT BIKE PATHS.
THEY WANT GREEN SPACE, THEY WANT PARKS, AND THEY WANT JOBS.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO CREATE, UH, WITH THIS PROJECT.
I'M JUST SO EXCITED TO SEE IT MOVE FORWARD TOGETHER.
THIS PROJECT REALLY ACCELERATES TEXAS IN WAYS THAT THE GOVERNOR WAS TALKING ABOUT.
WE SEE THE EXCELLENCE OF TEXAS EXEMPLIFIED BY THE CALIBER OF THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE PART OF THIS PROJECT, BY THE STRENGTH OF THE TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER, BY THE POWER OF THE TEXAS ECONOMY.
UM, I COULDN'T BE MORE EXCITED TO SEE THIS PROJECT MOVE FORWARD.
AND NOW I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO GIUSEPPE GUDO TO SAY A FEW WORDS.
I STILL, UM, RECALL OUR VISIT IN 2014 WITH, UH, GOVERNOR ABBOT.
YOU SEE A LOT OF POWERPOINT, LOTS OF HANDOUTS,
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AND, UH, UH, AGAIN, WE WANT TO THANK YOU FOR, UH, HOLDING US ACCOUNTABLE FOR EXECUTION.AND, AND THIS IS REALLY WHAT IT IS TODAY.
I CAME HERE FROM EITHER IN 1988 AND I REMEMBER THE ASTRODOME AND THE TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER.
AND THIS, WE, WHAT WE HAVE DONE HERE.
WE HAVE REVERSED ENGINEERING WITH PEOPLE.
AS MAYOR TURNER SAID, THAT'S WHAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE, BECAUSE BUILDINGS IN TEXAS ARE JUST AMAZING.
AND, UH, BUT THE HUMAN CAPITAL THAT WE HAVE ASSEMBLED IN THE TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER WITH ALL THE INSTITUTION IS TRULY, TRULY AMAZING.
AND IT'S RESEARCH, IT'S, UH, IT'S EDUCATION, IT'S WORKFORCE.
AS YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THIS MAJOR RESPONSIBILITY TO PROVIDE PHYSICIAN, NURSES, DENTISTS, PUBLIC HEALTH WORKERS FROM THE ENTIRE STATE OF TEXAS, A STATE THAT CONTINUES TO GROW AT RATES THAT WE HAVE NEVER SEEN BEFORE.
SO EVERYTHING IS AROUND THIS ICONIC BUILDING.
THE GOVERNOR WAS ASKING, WHERE ARE WE HERE? AND THE MID CAMPUS IS A VERY COMPLICATED MEDICAL CENTER GOVERNOR.
AND, UH, BUT WHAT WE HAVE, WE JUST A PHENOMENAL PEOPLE INFRASTRUCTURE, AGAIN, ADDRESSING THE NEEDS OF THE STATE AND MAKING THIS MEDICAL CENTER THE GREATEST IN THE WORLD.
ANN IS THE DIRECTOR OF OUR TEXAS THERAPEUTIC INSTITUTE.
ON, I CHALLENGE EVERYONE TO FIND AN INVESTIGATOR WITH, UH, SIX TO EIGHT DRUGS, ANTIBODIES ON CLINICAL TRIALS AT THE SAME TIME, TARGETING CANCER, NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASE, AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE, AND SO ON.
AND THEN WE HAVE THIS BEAUTIFUL BUILDING SURROUNDED BY OUR SIX SCHOOLS, NOW SEVEN, WITH THE SCHOOL FOR BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES, 20,000 UT HEALTH PEOPLE AND LEARNER WHO WILL ENJOY THIS INFRASTRUCTURE THAT THIS MEDICAL CENTER REALLY DESERVE.
I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO THANK OUR, UH, REGIONS AND, UH, AND OUR CHANCELLOR AND OUR EXECUTIVE VICE CHANCELLOR.
THIS WOULD'VE NOT BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT THIS SUPPORT OF UT SYSTEM.
UH, AGAIN, SUPPORTING US AND MD ANDERSON.
WE VERY MUCH APPRECIATED THAT.
SO THIS HAS BEEN A TEAM EFFORT.
AND AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
AND CONGRATULATIONS, BILL, FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE.
UH, NEXT UP, UM, UM, I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE TO INTRODUCE A FRIEND AND COLLEAGUE, UH, CHANCELLOR JOHN SHARP, WHO'S BEEN HERE FROM THE VERY BEGINNING.
WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THIS PROCESS IN DRIVING IT THROUGH, ONE OF THE EXCITING THINGS THAT WERE HAPPENING, AS IS UNDER CHANCELLOR SHARP.
THEY HAD JUST CREATED THE NM ME PROGRAM, WHICH IS PHYSICIAN YEARS, THE COMBINATION OF DOCTORS AND ENGINEERS, WHICH IS REALLY AN EXCITING PROGRAM IN GROWING LEAPS AND BROWNS.
UM, I REMEMBER SEEING THE TEXAS A AND M CAMPUS.
UH, CHANCELLOR SHARP INVITED ME UP VERY EARLY IN MY, MY TENURE HERE.
AND I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE SIZE OF THE SCHOOL WAS, THEN CHANCELLOR.
BUT NOW I THINK IT'S OVER 153,000 STUDENTS IN 11 SYSTEM UNIVERSITIES.
AND THAT'S ALL HAPPENED UNDER, UH, CHANCELLOR JOHN SHARP.
PLEASE GIVE HIM A ROUND APPLAUSE.
UM, WHAT AN HONOR IT IS TO BE HERE FOR THIS GREAT OCCASION.
UH, I'M PLEASED TO HAVE ONE OF OUR REGIONS, MIKE PLANK FROM HOUSTON WITH US, AS WELL AS OUR GENERAL COUNSEL, RAY BONILLA.
I'M THANKFUL TO THEM FOR THEIR ENCOURAGEMENT, UH, AND ALL OF THE PEOPLE HERE.
UH, I DO NOT LIKE FOLLOWING SYLVESTER TURNER AT ANY TIME, UH, DURING SPEECHES.
UH, WHY DO YOU DO WHAT YOU DO? THAT, THAT WAS WHAT'S YOUR QUOTE? BUT MAKE NO MISTAKE ABOUT IT.
THE REASON THIS DAY IS HAPPENING IS GREG ABBOTT, UH, WHEN WE HAD BUMPS IN THE ROAD, HE'D SMOOTH THE BUMPS ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.
UH, WHEN WE HAD, WE HAD PROBLEMS, WHEN WE HAD PERHAPS DISAGREEMENTS, UH, HE MADE SURE IT HAPPENED.
THE VISION FOR THIS PROJECT, THE COMPLETION OF THIS PROJECT IS HAPPENING.
THIS BUILDING IS HERE, UH, BECAUSE OF THE SUPPORT OF THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF TEXAS.
AND IT IS GONNA PAY UNBELIEVABLE DI DIVIDENDS.
YOU KNOW, WHEN WE LOOK AT, WHEN EVERYBODY ON THE PLANET KNOWS THAT IF YOU'RE SICK, THIS IS THE PLACE YOU GO.
THAT'S WHY WHEN YOU GO TO MD ANDERSON, WHEN YOU GO TO UT
[00:35:01]
HEALTH, WHEN YOU GO TO DIFFERENT PLACES, YOU SEE PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT THIS IS THE BEST CLINICAL OPERATION THAT EXISTS ON PLANET EARTH, PERIOD.AND THERE IS GREAT RESEARCH THAT OCCURS IN EACH ONE OF THESE PLACES.
AND WHAT'S FIXING TO HAPPEN WITH AI IS REALLY BEYOND THE IMAGINATION THAT WE CAN EXPLAIN.
BUT WHAT IS FICTION TO HAPPEN WITH THIS IS ALL OF THAT RESEARCH BECOMES COLLABORATIVE.
IT BECOMES COLLABORATIVE WITHIN UNIVERSITIES.
IT BECOMES COLLABORATIVE WITHIN, UM, UH, UH, HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS. AND IT BECOMES COLLABORATIVE WITHIN THE PRIVATE SECTOR TO CREATE, UH, AN EQUAL PARTNER TO THE CLINICAL OPERATION THAT PERHAPS MAY BE EVEN BIGGER FOR THE HOUSTON ECONOMY AND BIGGER, MORE IMPORTANTLY, UH, TO THE LIFESPAN OF HUMAN BEINGS ON THIS, ON THIS EARTH, UH, THINK KENDALL PARK, THINK SOME OF THOSE OPERATIONS THAT OCCUR IN OTHER PLACES, THIS BEFORE IT'S OVER WITH, WILL DWARF THOSE PLACES BECAUSE OF THE COMMITMENT, BECAUSE OF THE RESOURCES THAT HOUSTON HAS, BECAUSE THE LEADERSHIP, THE STATE OF TEXAS HAS, THIS IS NOT JUST GOING TO BE ONE OF THE BIGGEST ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ENGINES EVER TO HIT HOUSTON, SINCE THE CLINICAL OPERATIONS HERE, IT IS GOING TO BE THE BIGGEST BLESSING, UH, FOR HUMAN BEINGS AND THE HEALTH OF HUMAN BEINGS THAT OCCURRED.
AND I'M, WE ARE SO PROUD, UH, THAT THE TEXAS A AND M SYSTEM IS A PART OF IT.
AND PARTICULARLY WE THANK THE GOVERNOR.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, CHANCELLOR.
UM, I, I WOULD BE, UH, REMISS IN MY RESPONSIBILITIES.
UH, OFTEN TIME WHEN WE HAVE THESE GREAT EVENTS OR WE CUT RIBBONS, WE AS CEOS GET TO TAKE A LOT OF THE FANFARE.
BUT THERE'S ALWAYS IN ALMOST EVERY COMPLEX PROJECT LIKE THIS, PEOPLE BEHIND THE SCENES, UH, THAT REALLY MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
AS I SAID, WE STARTED BACK IN 2014.
I LOOKED AT MY RECORDS, THE MEETING STARTED IN 2015.
AND THESE FOUR INDIVIDUALS, CHRIS MCKEE, UH, FROM MD ANDERSON, KEVIN DILLON FROM UT HEALTH, RAY BONILLA FROM U FROM TEXAS A AND M, AND ISAAC, MILTON.
I'D LIKE TO ALL HAVE YOU ALL STAND AND BE RECOGNIZED BY THIS GROUP BECAUSE THESE ARE THE FOUR HORSEMEN OF THE TM C3 BUILDING THAT MADE THIS HAPPEN.
UM, I ALSO WANNA THANK THE LEGAL TEAM.
UH, I CALL 'EM THE LEGAL EAGLES THEY GOT IN HERE.
AND YOU CAN IMAGINE THE COMPLEXITIES OF STATE AND PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS COMING TOGETHER.
HOW DO WE DO, UH, HOW DO WE DO THIS IN A WAY THAT ABIDES BY ALL OF THE REGULATIONS? BUT THIS TEAM ALSO HAVE MET, I THINK, MAYBE OVER 60, 70 TIMES IN THE COURSE OF THE LAST FEW YEARS.
SO A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR OUR INCREDIBLE LEGAL TEAM THAT SUPPORTED THIS.
AND THEN I, I JUST GONNA ASK DAVID ELIZABETH LOWRY AND M**K YOUNG KIM, YOU'VE SEEN THE BUILDING STRUCTURE, THE MASTER PLANNING, BY DAVID MAN, FREDDY, ELIZABETH LOWRY, EVERYTHING INTERNAL OF THESE BUILDINGS IS HER DESIGN.
AND M**K YOUNG KIM, ONE OF THE MOST BRILLIANT LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS, PLEASE STAND AND BE RECOGNIZED FOR YOUR BRILLIANT DESIGN.
THERE ARE ALSO PARTNERS, IF YOU LOOK ACROSS THE STREET AT THE DYNAMIC ONE BUILDING, UH, FRED SIEGEL, WHERE ARE YOU? FRED, I SAW YOU OVER HERE.
BEACON CAPITAL CAME AND PARTNERED WITH US AND IMAGINED CAME IN AT A TIME AND BUILT THAT BUILDING COMPLETELY ON SPEC.
YOU DON'T SEE THAT HAPPEN MUCH.
AND WHAT'S REALLY EXCITING IS TO SEE THE N THE A NUMBER OF INSTITUTIONS THAT ARE NOW MOVING INTO THIS BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE, HOUSTON METHODIST.
IT WAS ALWAYS ABOUT TM C3 WAS ALWAYS ABOUT ONE PLUS ONE EQUALS THREE.
THE NETWORK EFFECT OF WHAT WE COULD DO, UH, COLLECTIVELY TOGETHER, AS YOU HEARD BOTH THE GOVERNOR AND THE MAYOR SPEAK ABOUT BEFORE.
SO THANK YOU, FRED, FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.
UH, I KNOW STEVE AND MATT COULDN'T MAKE THE TRIP, BUT REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
AND WE WANNA BUILD ANOTHER SIX BUILDINGS IN THE NEXT FOUR OR FIVE YEARS.
UM, ALSO, YOU HEARD MENTION BEFORE PORTAL INVENTIONS.
I MET, THIS IS KIND OF LIKE AN OLD STORY, BUT I MET TWO INCREDIBLE PEOPLE IN CHICAGO.
WHERE ARE YOU, JOHN? WHERE ARE YOU? PAT OVER THERE IN THE CORNER.
THESE CATS HAVE DONE SOMETHING.
REALLY GIVE 'EM A ROUND OF APPLAUSE.
THEY'RE DOING SOMETHING REALLY INTERESTING HERE.
YOU IMAGINE THAT YOU'RE A RESEARCHER AT UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON OR AT RICE UNIVERSITY, OR ONE OF OUR MANY 60 INSTITUTIONS, AND YOU'VE GOT AN IDEA AND YOU NEED TO TAKE IT FURTHER.
[00:40:01]
NEED IS, AND YOU'RE ALSO HAVE YOUR FULL-TIME GIG AT YOUR UNIVERSITY.WHAT YOU NEED IS TO LAND AN ECOSYSTEM THAT HAS ALL THE EXPERTISE TO HELP YOU DEVELOP THAT IDEA, A NEW THERAPEUTIC, A NEW MED DEVICE, WHATEVER IT MAY BE, TO MOVE IT ALONG.
AND ON TOP OF THAT, THEY INVEST.
WE HAVE A VENTURE FUND AS WELL.
WE PARTNER UP WITH JOHN AND PATRICK AND THEIR TEAM, AND WE ACTUALLY DOUBLED DOWN ON, ON OUR INVESTMENTS.
AND IT'S EXACTLY, THAT'S THE AREA OF INVESTMENT.
VENTURE CAPITALISTS DON'T WANT TO TOUCH ANYTHING UNTIL YOU'VE TAKEN ALL THE RISK OUT OF IT.
AND THEN THEY WANT TO TAKE ALL OF THE COMPANY.
AND WE'VE HEARD THAT MANY TIMES BEFORE.
WE ARE CREATING AN ECOSYSTEM WHERE WE CAN HAVE OUR ENTREPRENEURS NOT LEAVE OUR GREAT INSTITUTIONS, BUT INVEST IN THEM, WRAP AROUND THEM, ALL THE RESOURCES THAT WE NEED.
AND THAT'S WHAT PORTAL INNOVATIONS IS ABOUT.
SO, UH, JOHN AND PATRICK, WELCOME HOME.
I KNOW YOU DO THIS IN OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY, BUT YOU'RE GONNA BE BORED WITH THEM BECAUSE THIS IS THE HEART OF INNOVATION IN LIFE SCIENCES GOING FORWARD.
SO WE THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
SO WE'RE NOW GONNA GO INTO THE Q AND A.
SO, UM, WE'RE GONNA OPEN THIS.
WE DO HAVE STATE OF THE TMC LATER ON THIS AFTERNOON AT 4:00 PM SO MANY OF YOU'LL JOIN US, BUT I WANNA OPEN THIS UP TO THE MEDIA.
SO WE HAVE OUR MICROPHONES HERE.
UM, AND I'M GONNA START OFF WITH ONE OF THE QUESTIONS, UH, FIRST, SO I'LL TURN IT OVER TO DR.
WHAT DROVE YOU TO COME TOGETHER IN THIS EFFORT? WELL, I THINK, UM, THE OPPORTUNITY, AS YOU DESCRIBED IT, BILL, TO CREATE A ONE PLUS ONE EQUALS THREE, AND TO LEVERAGE THE R AND D CAPABILITIES OF THE TMC BY BRINGING, UH, VENTURE CAPITAL AND FOR-PROFIT ENTITIES, UH, BIOTECH, UH, DATA SCIENCE COMPANIES, UH, TO HOUSTON.
THAT WAS REALLY WHAT WE SAW AS AN UNBELIEVABLE OPPORTUNITY.
WE NEEDED TO GET OUTSIDE THE TMC BOUNDARIES, AS YOU KNOW, BILL, UH, SO THAT WE COULD WORK WITH, UH, WITH COMPANIES.
AND NOW LOOK AT WHAT WE'VE CREATED.
UM, WE WOULDN'T BE HERE WITHOUT YOU.
UM, AND I DON'T KNOW IF PEOPLE KNOW THIS, BUT EVER SINCE THE GOVERNOR WAS ELECTED, HE IS WON THE BIGGEST CHAMPIONSHIP.
YOU WIN AS A GOVERNOR, IS THE, THE, UM, YOU HAVE TO CORRECT ME WHAT THE NAME OF THE CUP IS, BUT IT'S THE NUMBER ONE RATED BY CEOS IN THE COUNTRY OF THE BEST STATE TO WORK WITH.
HE HAS NOT LOST THE ASTROS, SHOULD LISTEN TO THE GOVERNOR.
HE HAS NEVER LOST FROM EVERY YEAR THAT HE'S BEEN IN OFFICE.
UM, HOW WILL THIS BUILD UPON YOUR LEGACY OF, OF SITTING TEXAS AS THE NUMBER ONE STATE FOR BUSINESS? WELL, AS, AS WE ALL TALKED FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE INCREDIBLE BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC PLATFORM, THE STATE OF TEXAS HAS, UH, THERE WAS ONE GLARING DEFICIENCY, UH, AND THAT IS TO HAVE A MASSIVE HOME FOR LIFE SCIENCES.
YOU LOOK AROUND AT, UH, OTHER LOCATIONS, UH, ACROSS THE COUNTRY, IT COULD BE, UH, BOSTON OR WHEREVER ELSE.
AND THEY ALL HAD A VERY ROBUST, UH, LIFE SCIENCES RESEARCH PROGRAM THAT WAS CONTRIBUTING EXTRAORDINARILY TO THEIR ECONOMY, BUT ALSO CONTRIBUTING, UH, VERY MUCH TO THE ADVANCEMENT OF INNOVATIONS IN SCIENCE.
AND SO THE, THE ONE GAP TEXAS NEEDED TO FILL WAS TO PROVIDE THAT LIFE SCIENCES COMPONENT.
AND KIND OF GOING BACK TO EVERYTHING THAT WE WORKED ON.
AND WHEN, WHEN YOU SEE THIS BUILDING AND WHEN YOU SEE IT COME TO FRUITION, IT LOOKS LIKE IT WOULD'VE BEEN SO EASY, THE FACT OF THE MATTER, IT WAS HARD TO GET BUY-IN FROM THE VERY BEGINNING ABOUT WHY WE NEEDED TO DO THIS.
EVEN THOUGH IT WAS A NO-BRAINER, CONNECTED TO THE LARGEST MEDICAL CENTER IN THE ENTIRE WORLD.
WE STILL NEEDED TO, UH, SPUR AND GET ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OUR UNIVERSITIES AND THEN REACH OUT TO THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND THEN REACH OUT, UH, TO COMBINE IT ALL TOGETHER.
BUT WHEN PEOPLE REALLY WERE ABLE TO GRASP THE, THE MAGNITUDE OF THE VISION AND HOW WE HAD EVERYTHING NEEDED RIGHT HERE IN THIS ONE LOCATION THAT WOULD PROVIDE A COMPLETE PRODUCT, PEOPLE BEGIN TO BUY IN.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, AS YOU WERE KIND OF TALKING EARLIER, THE, THE, THE ADDITION OF, OF THOSE ON THE, THE VENTURE CAPITAL SIDE AND, UH, THE INVESTMENT SIDE, UH, WAS AND REMAINS ESSENTIAL TO THIS.
IF, IF WE'RE GONNA BE SUCCESSFUL IN BEING A NATIONAL OR INTERNATIONAL LEADER IN LIFE SCIENCES, IT DOES REQUIRE INVESTMENT FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
SO THE PRIVATE SECTOR INVOLVEMENT IN THIS IS ESSENTIAL IF TMC THREE IS GOING TO REACH WHAT IT'S CAPABLE OF, A ACHIEVE OF ACHIEVING.
ONE OF THE THINGS I, I WANT TO ALSO, I FORGOT TO MENTION AND THANK THE GOVERNOR, FOR HOW MANY SHOW OF HANDS, WE'RE GONNA DO A MARKETING SURVEY.
HOW MANY OF YOU VOTED IN THIS ELECTION IN THE LAST YEAR? WE EARLY ELECTION.
[00:45:01]
I'VE GOT ONE HERE TOO.YOU'RE SHIRKING YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES AS IT IS IN, I JUST WANTED TO TELL YOU WHY THAT'S IMPORTANT.
UM, WE HAVE PUT TOGETHER OUR FIRST BILL, IT'S CALLED PROPOSITION 10.
REMEMBER THAT NUMBER HIGH FIVE, TWICE OVER 10.
IT IS ACTUALLY WHEN WE LOOKED, AND THE, AND THE GOVERNOR AND MAYOR WERE EXTREMELY HELPFUL IN THIS, WE FOUND THAT FOR, TO BRING A LIFE SCIENCE COMPANY TO MANUFACTURE IN THIS STATE IS ALMOST THREE TIMES MORE EXPENSIVE THAN NORTH CAROLINA, BOSTON, ALL THE PLACES WE COMPETE WITH.
SO PROPOSITION 10 ALLOWS US NOT TO BE TAXED FOR THE EQUIPMENT THAT WE MAKE, THE SUPPLIES WE MAKE EVERY YEAR.
THEY STILL PAY PROPERTY TAXES.
SO I DON'T WANT YOU TO THINK THAT WE'RE NOT PAYING PROPERTY TAXES.
BUT IN ADDITION, IMAGINE PAYING FOR YOUR, UH, FOR ALL OF THE SUPPLIES AND EVERYTHING YOU CREATE AND ALL YOUR EQUIPMENT EVERY SINGLE YEAR.
IT PUT US AT A TAX OF ABOUT 28% VERSUS 12.2 IN, IN, UH, NORTH CAROLINA.
SO IF YOU ONLY GO TO VOTE FOR PROPOSITION 10, WE'D REALLY APPRECIATE IT AND OPEN RIGHT NOW, EARLY VOTING IN THE TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER.
VERY CONVENIENT FOR ALL OF YOU.
SO SORRY ABOUT THAT SIDEBAR, BUT THANK YOU GOVERNOR AND MAYOR FOR HELPING US WITH THAT.
MAYOR, EXPLAIN FOR US UHT 28, BECAUSE THIS IS VERY UNIQUE.
THE FIRST ON YOUR WATCH, I KNOW IT TOOK A LOT OF CONVINCING, BUT YOU REALLY WRAPPED YOURSELF AROUND IT.
WILL YOU EXPLAIN KIND OF TO THE REST OF THE PEOPLE, TS 28 TS ARE NOT REALLY UNDERSTOOD WELL, BUT IT'S VERY POWERFUL FOR US.
COULD YOU SHARE WITH US WHY YOU SUPPORTED IT AND HOW IT ACTUALLY WORKS? WE'VE BEEN, UH, IN THIS CITY, WE'VE BEEN VERY INTENTIONAL, UH, ABOUT THE CREATION OF TURS BECAUSE ESSENTIALLY WHAT IT IS, YOU DRAW A GEOGRAPHICAL AREA AND THE INCREMENT, THE IMPROVEMENTS IN THOSE AREAS FLOAT STAGE IN THOSE, IN THAT GEOGRAPHICAL AREA.
AND THE INTENTION IS TO PROVIDE INVESTMENTS THAT WILL IMPROVE THOSE AREAS, AND EVEN AREAS THAT HAVE BEEN UNDERSERVED AND SOMETIMES WHERE THERE'S BEEN A LACK OF INVESTMENT.
BUT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER, AND THEN YOU HAVE TO BEAR IN MIND IS ALSO, IT'S CONNECTED WITH HERMAN PARK.
I MEAN, IT EVEN GOES BEYOND THE GEOGRAPHICAL AREA.
UM, IS THAT BY RETURNING THAT INCREMENT ON THOSE ENHANCEMENTS AND ALLOWING THOSE, THAT, THAT THOSE ADDED IN INCREMENTS TO STAY IN THE AREA, IT WILL HELP TO CREATE ADDITIONAL INVESTMENTS, UH, THAT WILL BENEFIT, QUITE FRANKLY, THE ENTIRE CITY.
SO EVEN THOUGH IT'S A DEFINE GEOGRAPHICAL AREA, WHAT WE DID, FOR EXAMPLE, AT CITY COUNCIL IS TAKE A LOOK AT IT AND MAKE A DETERMINATION AS TO WHETHER OR NOT IT BENEFITS THAT GEOGRAPHICAL AREA.
BUT DO THE BENEFITS ALSO GO BEYOND? AND THE CITY AS A WHOLE WILL BENEFIT FOR THE MEDICAL CENTER RECOGNIZING WHO COMES TO THE MEDICAL CENTER.
AND THAT'S THE ADDED COMPONENT, IS THAT YOU CAN LOOK AT IT IN MANY WAYS AND SAY, OKAY, WITH THIS PARTICULAR ENTITY, THE PEOPLE WHO ARE COMING TO THE MEDICAL CENTER IN LARGE PART COME FROM OUTSIDE OF THAT GEOGRAPHICAL AREA AREA.
AND SO BY ENHANCING THE MEDICAL CENTER, YOU BENEFIT PEOPLE IN, LET'S SAY FIFTH WARD OR BENEFIT PEOPLE ON THE EAST END, OR BENEFIT PEOPLE IN ACRE HOME WHO ARE NEEDING THE MEDICAL CENTER IN ORDER TO IMPROVE THEIR LIVES SO THAT THEY COULD RETURN TO THEIR COMMUNITIES AND YOU HAVE A MULTIPLIER EFFECT.
SO IT WAS KIND OF A DIFFERENT SORT OF SITUATION.
IT BENEFITS HERMAN, UH, PARK AND SO MANY OTHER ENTITIES.
SO IN THE END, IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS, WE THOUGHT IT WAS A NO-BRAINER.
UH, BECAUSE THIS AREA IS EXPANDING, UM, THINGS WILL BE TAKING PLACE BECAUSE OF TMC AND THE HELIX.
AND IF YOU, IF YOU PROVIDE AN ADDED STIMULANT HERE, THE WHOLE CITY BENEFITS, WHICH IS QUITE FRANKLY FOR THIS TURF, IT'S QUITE UNIQUE.
WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR, FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF THAT.
SO I'M GONNA OPEN IT UP TO THE MEDIA.
WE HAVE MICROPHONES BACK FOR THE MEDIA, SO PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND AND WE'LL GET A MICROPHONE TO YOU AND, UH, ADDRESS ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE AND PLEASE IDENTIFY YOUR, YOUR, YOUR MEDIA.
THANKS FOR TAKING MY QUESTION.
I'M HALEY HERNANDEZ WITH KPRC.
UM, COULD YOU JUST ADDRESS THE TYPE OF RESEARCH THAT'LL BE HAPPENING HERE? I MEAN, HOW ARE WE REALLY SHAKING THINGS UP IN THE RESEARCH WORLD? WHAT CAN PEOPLE EXPECT WILL COME FROM HERE? HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO RECRUIT WELL FOR THAT?
[00:50:01]
SURE.PISTERS KLO SARTO, CHANCELLOR SHARP, HAPPY, HAPPY TO START.
UM, WELL, AGAIN, I'VE BEEN HERE FOR 27 YEARS, AND AS I SHARE ALL THE TIME, UM, IT WAS NOT EASY 25 YEARS AGO TO ATTRACT THE BEST BRAIN FROM, UH, AROUND THE WORLD.
AND THAT HAS ENTIRELY CHANGED.
SO CLEARLY, UH, WE ARE ABLE TODAY, AGAIN, SPEAKING FOR UT HEALTH, BUT I KNOW WHAT JOHN AND PETER ARE DOING AS WELL.
WE HAVE A LONG WAITING LIST OF PEOPLE WHO WANT TO BE PART OF WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE IN THE TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER.
IN FACT, WE FLY OUT AROUND STATES TO JUST HANDPICK THE BEST BRAINS AND THE BEST MINDS TO BRING THEM IN THIS, IN THESE INSTITUTIONS.
AND AGAIN, IF YOU ARE A STUDENT, IF YOU ARE A, A YOUNG RESEARCHER, IF YOU'RE AN ESTABLISHED PROFESSOR AND YOU SEE THIS TYPE OF INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, WITH, UH, WITH THE STATE OF TEXAS GROWING, WITH THE ECONOMY, GROWING, THE POPULATION, GROWING, YOU WANNA BE PART OF THAT.
WHAT I COULD, UM, UM, ADD TO THAT, IT'S AN EXCELLENT QUESTION.
UM, WHEN WE LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, THE BIG FORCES THAT ARE IMPACTING ONCOLOGY CARE DELIVERY RIGHT NOW, OR THE MEGA TRENDS THAT WE SEE IN SOCIETY AS A WHOLE, TWO OF THE BIGGEST ONES ARE IMMUNO-ONCOLOGY, THE USE OF THE IMMUNE SYSTEM AND HOW TO HARNESS COMPONENTS OF IT, OR REPROGRAM THE IMMUNE SYSTEMS OF FIGHT CANCER.
THESE ARE SOME OF THE BIGGEST INNOVATIONS THAT WE'VE SEEN IN DECADES, UM, IN ONCOLOGY AND POSITIONING, UH, THE JAMES P. ALLISON INSTITUTE RIGHT HERE IN THE CENTER OF THIS.
AND THEN BEING ABLE TO COUPLE THAT INSTITUTE WITH THE TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH CAPABILITIES OF MD ANDERSON AND THE LARGEST CLINICAL TRIALS UNIT FOR ONCOLOGY IN THE WORLD, THAT ATTRACTS TONS OF TALENTED PEOPLE, UH, TO THIS, WHEN WE CAN COUPLE IT WITH AN ENVIRONMENT LIKE THIS, A BUILDING LIKE THIS WITH RESTAURANTS AND OTHER AMENITIES THAT YOUNG RESEARCHERS REALLY VALUE, WE HAVE AMAZING OPPORTUNITIES.
WHEN WE LOOK AT WHAT ALL OF US HAVE EXPERIENCED RIGHT NOW, THE BIG SHIFT BEYOND SIRI AND ALEXA, UM, INTO A NEW WORLD DRIVEN, UH, BY LARGE LANGUAGE MODELS, A BIG PUSH INTO ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, SOMETHING THAT LOOKS LIKE THE NEXT INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION.
AND WE HAVE AN INSTITUTE FOR DATA SCIENCE AND ONCOLOGY SITUATED RIGHT HERE.
AND THE ABILITY TO LEVERAGE, UH, THE MASSIVE QUANTITIES OF DATA THAT ARE GENERATED BY OUR PATIENTS, TWO TERABYTES OF DATA ON EVERY SINGLE PATIENT EVERY YEAR, THAT IS AN UNBELIEVABLE OPPORTUNITY, UH, RIGHT NOW FOR US TO HARNESS THE POWER OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE.
THERE'S A, THERE'S ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY AS WELL.
EACH, EACH OF THESE ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS WERE ELIGIBLE FOR SOMETHING CALLED THE GOVERNOR'S UNIVERSITY RESEARCH INITIATIVE, WHICH WAS THE BRAINSTORM OF GOVERNOR ABBOTT.
HE CREATED IT ABOUT EIGHT YEARS AGO.
AND WHAT THAT ALLOWS EACH OF THESE INSTITUTIONS, INCLUDING MINE, IS TO ACCESS, UH, TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF FUNDS TO RECRUIT NATIONAL ACADEMY MEMBERS OR BETTER, UH, IN RESEARCHERS, UH, PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS.
AND SO IT, IT ALLOWED US TO INCREASE OUR, UM, NATIONAL ACADEMY MEMBERS BY FIVEFOLD OVER THE LAST, UH, EIGHT YEARS OR SO.
AND THIS CAN BE THAT GURY OR GOVERNOR'S UNIVERSITY RESEARCH INDUSTRY CAN BE USED TO RECRUIT FOLKS IN ALL OF THESE FIELDS, UH, FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE.
IT'S STILL DOING A, DOING A GREAT JOB.
AND, AND, UH, FOR THE FIRST TIME, THAT'S A WAY THAT ALL OF US COULD COLLABORATE AND MIX THOSE FUNDS, UH, AND RECRUIT THE VERY BEST MINDS IN THE UNITED STATES TO COME TO HOUSTON.
JEREMY WALLACE WITH THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE, UH, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S A LOT OF PARTISAN POLITICS IN THE WORLD, BUT IN THIS CASE, IT SEEMS LIKE, UH, GOVERNOR AND MR. MAYOR, Y'ALL REPRESENT, UH, A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP TO THE HOUSTON MEDICAL COMMUNITY THAT SEEMS TO TRANSCEND SOME OF THAT.
UH, CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR RELATIONSHIPS, UH, WORKING WITH EACH OTHER ON THIS A LITTLE BIT MORE? UH, WELL, WELL, THANK YOU, JEREMY.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, SYLVESTER AND I HAVE A, AND ACTUALLY A LONG TIME WORKING RELATIONSHIP EVER SINCE I WAS, UH, ATTORNEY GENERAL, AND MAYBE EVEN WHEN I WAS ON THE SUPREME COURT, HE AND I WOULD WORK TOGETHER.
HE WAS THE OVERSEER, UH, CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE, UH, UH, MY OFFICE BACK WHEN I WAS, UH, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL.
AND SO, BOTTOM LINE, WE HAD A RELATIONSHIP BUILT TOGETHER BEFORE THAT, AND ESPECIALLY BECAUSE OF MY TIES TO HOUSTON, BUT ALSO PART OF YOUR QUESTION, IT RELATES TO THIS, AND, AND THAT IS MAYOR TURNER AND I ALSO
[00:55:01]
SHARE SOMETHING ELSE.UH, AND THAT IS, WE'RE MORE THAN JUST ELECTED OFFICIALS HERE.
HE AND I BOTH SPENT A LOT OF TIME GETTING HEALTHCARE HERE.
AND I'M, I'M, I'M GONNA LAY DOWN A CHALLENGE AND I'M GONNA TELL YOU WHAT, WHAT I'M GONNA TELL YOU.
AND SO, UH, I, MOST PEOPLE HERE KNOW THAT, THAT I WAS LIVING IN HOUSTON AT THE TIME WHEN I WAS OUT, OUT RUNNING AND, AND THAT TREE FELL ON ME, AND, AND IT CRASHED VERTEBRAE, I MEAN, CRASHED A TREE DOWN ON MY BACK AND BROKE VERTEBRAE IN MY BACK.
UH, AND IT CUT MY SPINAL CORD AND LED ME IMMEDIATELY PARALYZED.
I WAS ABLE TO GO ON AND, AND BECOME GOVERNOR.
AND THE OTHER THINGS I'VE DONE BECAUSE, UH, OF TIER, THE, THE INSTITUTE OF OF REHABILITATION AND RESEARCH AND, UH, ONE OF THE PREMIER REHAB CENTERS IN THE WORLD, THEY WERE ABLE TO HELP REHABILITATIVE PERSON AND PUT THEM ON THE PATHWAY TOWARD REINTEGRATING INTO PRODUCTIVE SOCIETY.
A LOT HAS BEEN MENTIONED, AND THIS IS THE, THE, THE THROWDOWN.
A LOT HAS BEEN MENTIONED ABOUT CANCER RESEARCH AND OTHER FORMS OF RESEARCH, BUT THERE ARE NO LIMITATIONS ON THE COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH THAT COULD BE DONE HERE.
AND WHAT, WHAT I KNOW IS THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE RESEARCHING AS WE SPEAK, BUT I THINK WITH THE AVAILABILITY OF AI AND OTHER ADVANCEMENTS, SOMEONE HERE IN TM C3 IN, IN THE, THE HELIX, WHEN YOU BRING THE GREATEST MINDS OF THE PRIVATE SECTOR ALONG WITH THE GREATEST MINDS OF, OF MEDICAL SCIENCE, PERHAPS THE PATHWAY CAN BE LAID WHERE THEY WILL BE ABLE TO FIGURE OUT A WAY THAT THEY WILL BE ABLE TO PUT A BODY BACK TOGETHER SO THAT NOT ONLY WOULD A PERSON BE ABLE TO LIVE SUCCESSFULLY IN A WHEELCHAIR, BUT THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO HELP THAT PERSON ACTUALLY WALK AGAIN.
THAT IS WHAT THE VISION IS, THE CAPABILITIES ARE OF BRINGING TOGETHER A LIFE SCIENCES CENTER LIKE THIS.
SO LITERALLY, THEY WILL BE ABLE TO FIND WAYS IN WHICH PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO OVERCOME PARALYSIS, MAKE THE NEURONS WORK ONCE AGAIN, AND HAVE PEOPLE INSTEAD OF LIVING IN WHEELCHAIRS, ACTUALLY AMBULATE AND WALK.
ONCE AGAIN, THAT CAN BE THE FUTURE OF TMC THREE.
THANK YOU FOR THAT, THAT QUESTION.
UM, THE GOVERNOR AND I ARE NOT PARTISAN.
UM, YOU KNOW,
UM, I THINK WE ARE VERY PASSIONATE IN OUR POSITIONS.
UM, BUT I LOOK WHERE THERE ARE THINGS WHERE YOU CAN WORK TOGETHER.
YOU WORK TOGETHER IS IN ALL OF OUR INTERESTS, UH, TO CREATE INSTITUTIONS THAT BENEFIT THE LIVES OF THE PEOPLE THAT WE SERVE.
IF YOU ARE A HOUSTONIAN, YOU ARE A TEXAN, AND, UH, A HEALTHY HOUSTON MAKES A HEALTHY TEXAS.
AND WHAT BENEFITS, FOR EXAMPLE, HOUSTON, UH, BENEFITS TEXAS, AND WE LIVE IN A VERY COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT, AND I KNOW HOW PASSIONATELY HE FEELS ABOUT TEXAS.
UH, I'M A TEXAN, PASSIONATE ABOUT HOUSTON.
UM, NEITHER ONE OF US WANT TO LOSE BUSINESS TO SOME OTHER STATE.
UM, WE DON'T WANT, UH, THE BOSTON AREA TO BE THE AREA FOR LIFE SCIENCES.
WE WANT THAT TO BE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, WHICH IS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
WHEN A NUMBER OF US VISITED, UH, SILICON VALLEY YEARS AGO TO TRY TO FIND OUT WHAT THEY WERE DOING, WE CAME BACK, UH, WE DECIDED, YOU KNOW, WE ARE NOT TRYING TO EMULATE WHAT THEY'RE DOING ON SILICON IN SILICON VALLEY, BUT WE SAID HASHTAG UH, SILICON BAYOU, UH, WE CAN BUILD SILICON BAYOU, UH, RIGHT HERE, UH, IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
AND WHEN WE DO IT TOGETHER, THEN WE CAN BE MORE COMPETITIVE THAN ANYBODY ON THE WEST COAST OR ON THE EAST COAST.
AND WHEN YOU ARE ATTRACTING, UH, RESEARCHERS, EXPERTS, YOUNG TALENT, AND YOU'RE BRINGING THEM TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON, FOR EXAMPLE, THEN WE BOTH WINS.
SO WHO WANTS TO YIELD TO ANY OTHER STATE OR ANY OTHER CITY IN ANY OTHER STATE? SO THAT IS IN OUR MUTUAL BEST INTEREST.
NOW, WERE THERE AREAS WHERE WE MAY DISAGREE? UM, YOU KNOW, I JUST GOTTA TALK TO THE GOVERNOR A LITTLE BIT MORE AND HE WILL COME AROUND.
BUT THE REALITY IS, EVEN IN THIS DAY AND TIME, YOU CAN FIND THINGS IN WHICH YOU CAN AGREE.
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IT'S A PLUS FOR BOTH HOUSTON AND THE STATE OF TEXAS.AND ON THIS ISSUE, THERE IS UNANIMOUS CONSENT.
DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR THE MEDIA? ONE OVER HERE? UH, HI, I'M JISH NAIR WITH THE HOUSTON BUSINESS JOURNAL.
UM, AND JUST WANTED TO ASK, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE KIND OF EMPHASIS THAT THIS ENTIRE PROJECT HAS ON KIND OF BRING TOGETHER HOUSTON'S RESEARCH COMMUNITY AND ITS COMMERCIAL IMPACT.
YOU KNOW, WHAT CAN WE KIND OF EXPECT IN TERMS OF, UH, ANNOUNCEMENTS OR ANTICIPATION FOR, UH, LARGE SCALE COMMERCIAL, UH, PARTNERS WHEN IT COMES TO THE BIOTECHNOLOGY AND LIFE SCIENCES, UH, SECTORS? SURE.
I, I'LL TAKE A LEAD ON THAT AND, AND THEN ASK MY COLLEAGUES TO FOLLOW.
SO I'M NOT SURE PEOPLE REALIZE THIS, BUT TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER HAS THE LARGEST BASE OF CLINICAL TRIALS IN THE COUNTRY, BAR NONE.
WE'RE NUMBER ONE BY ALL DIMENSIONS.
AND SO FIRST, THAT'S A GREAT PLACE TO START.
I THINK WHAT ALSO IS IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE IS THE COVENANTS, THE LAND COVENANTS THAT WE HAD IN PLACE, ACTUALLY FORBID FOR PROFIT COMPANIES.
SO A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE WILL SAY, THERE'S NO LIFE SCIENCES HERE IN HOUSTON.
AND WHAT THEY MEAN IS THEY DON'T SEE BRISTOL MYERS SQUIBB.
THEY DON'T SEE A LOT OF THE, THE NAMES THAT YOU SEE IN BOSTON AND OTHER PLACES OF THE COUNTRY.
BUT TO OUR BOARD'S CREDIT, THE TMC BOARD CHANGED THE COVENANTS.
THESE WERE 70 PLUS YEAR COVENANTS AND CHANGED THEM HERE ON THE HELIX PARK CAMPUS, AS WELL AS THE INNOVATION FACTORY CAMPUS, OR BETTER KNOWN AS THE COOKIE FACTORY, NABISCO COOKIE FACTORY.
AND WHAT'S INTERESTING, WITHIN A MONTH OF THE TIME THAT WE CHANGED THOSE COVENANTS, WE SIGNED J AND J RIGHT OUT OF THE GATES, THEN CAME A, B, B ROBOTICS, AND NOW MANY MORE TO FOLLOW.
WE DIDN'T HAVE A CAMPUS TO REALLY PLACE INDUSTRIES.
SO THINK HOW DIFFICULT THAT WOULD BE.
IF YOU'RE, UM, UH, BRISTOL MYERS SQUIBB AND YOU'RE TRYING TO COME TO THE CAMPUS TO LOOK AT ALL OF THE CANCER THERAPEUTICS THAT ARE BEING WORKED ON IN EACH OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS.
RESEARCH, YOU'D HAVE TO SPEND A LOT OF TIME GOING INTO DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER.
AND YOU ALL KNOW HOW, UH, DIFFICULT THAT CAN BE.
THE ROMANS WOULD CRY IF THEY EVER SAW THIS CAMPUS.
WE BUILD NOT ON SQUARES, WE BUILD ON BIOS.
AND SO IT'S COMPLICATED, RIGHT? IT'S VERY ARDUOUS FOR AN INDUSTRY PARTNER TO COME IN AND FERRE IT THROUGH.
NOW, WE'VE CREATED A PLACE WHERE THEY CAN LAND IN ONE ROOM AND SEE THE GREAT INNOVATIONS OUT OF MD ANDERSON, OUT OF UT HEALTH, OUT OF A AND M, BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE METHODIST, AND THE LIST GOES ON.
SO PART OF THIS IS REALLY WELCOMING INDUSTRY IN TO LAND AND NOT JUST STOP ON THE WEEKEND, BUT ACTUALLY PLACE THEIR RESEARCHERS RIGHT HERE NEXT TO THE GREAT RESEARCHERS WE HAVE FROM THIS INSTITUTION.
PETER, DO YOU WANNA ADD ON TO THAT OR GI? UH, CERTAINLY.
FERRAN PRATT IN THE BACK OF THE ROOM.
FERRAN, PLEASE WAVE IT, EVERYBODY.
UH, BECAUSE FRAN IS THE GENIUS, UH, BEHIND, UH, MD ANDERSON'S ABILITY TO COMMERCIALIZE DISCOVERY.
UM, HE'S GOT A PLACE INSIDE MD ANDERSON THAT HAS A FOOTPRINT OF HIS BACKSIDE BECAUSE HE SITS THERE ALL THE TIME AT LIGHT BITES TO MEET WITH OUR TALENTED RESEARCHERS.
THAT HAS LED TO SO MANY IMPORTANT INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIPS.
AND NOW WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO TELL THOSE INDUSTRY PARTNERS, HEY, YOU SHOULD COME TO HOUSTON AND CO-LOCATE WITH US.
WE HAVE AN UNBELIEVABLE ENVIRONMENT FOR YOU.
THOSE CONVERSATIONS ARE FAR ALONG THE PATH.
WE SEE MANY, MANY BIOPHARMA COMPANIES THAT ARE REALLY INTERESTED IN THIS OPPORTUNITY.
AND AS WE LAUNCH OUR BIG PUSH IN THE DATA SCIENCE, I THINK WE'RE GONNA SEE THE TECH SECTOR LOOKING AT THIS OPPORTUNITY, UH, RIGHT SQUARELY.
SO FRAN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.
WE'RE SO EXCITED TO SEE THIS MOVE FORWARD.
SO MY COMMENT GOES BACK TO WHAT I SAID EARLIER.
UH, SMART PEOPLE FOLLOW HUMAN BRAIN AND TALENTS, UH, AND, AND WE HAVE SO MANY IN THIS MEDICAL CENTER.
SO, SO I THINK THE, THE CONCEPT, THIS IDEA TO, TO MAKE EASIER TO APPROACH OUR TALENTS, I THINK IT WAS REALLY THE GAME CHANGER FOR, UH, FOR ALL OF US.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE TALKED ABOUT AI.
UH, WE, WE HAVE THE ONLY SCHOOL IN THE COUNTRY OF BIOMEDICAL INFORMATICS.
WE LITERALLY HAVE IN THIS SCHOOL, THE WORLD EXPERT IN DATA SCIENCES, IN ANALYTICS AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE.
WE SUCCESSFULLY RECRUITED THEM.
I USED TO SAY WE STOLE THEM, BUT THEY CORRECTED ME FROM, UH, FROM MANY INSTITUTIONS THAT, UH, WE JUST ENJOY.
WE HAVE, WE HAVE CEOS AROUND THE COUNTRY RIGHT NOW TRYING
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TO HAVE DINNER ON WEEKENDS, TRY TO RETAIN THE PEOPLE WHO ARE BRINGING DOWN TO HOUSTON.SO, SO I THINK, AGAIN, THE INVESTMENT WILL FOLLOW THE BRAINS, AND THIS IS THE VENUE WE NEEDED WITH OUR NEW ADDITIONAL BUILDING, UH, SOUTH OF THE, UH, THIS BEAUTIFUL PARK AND NORTH, OBVIOUSLY WITH, WITH A AND M.
BUT, UH, UM, I WOULD SAY THAT, UH, YOU'RE GONNA SEE A LOT MORE CONNECTIVITY WITH THE AMAZING BRAINS THAT, UH, THAT WE ARE SUCCESSFULLY RECRUITING FROM AROUND THE WORLD.
CHANCELLOR SHARP, SAY, BEFORE THE ADVENT OF COMPUTERS, BEFORE THE ADVENT OF THE INTERNET, AND NOW AI, UH, EVERYBODY STAYED IN THEIR OWN LANE.
THAT'S WHAT THE RESEARCHERS ALL TALKED ABOUT.
AND YOU CAN'T STAY IN YOUR OWN LANE.
AND PARTICULARLY WITH AI, AS THAT EXPANDS, I LISTENED TO SOME OF PETER'S PEOPLE TALK ABOUT WHAT'S FIXING TO HAPPEN OVER THE NEXT 10 YEARS, UH, IN HEALTHCARE WITH REGARD TO AI.
I THINK MOST PEOPLE, MOST TEXANS EVEN WOULDN'T BELIEVE WHAT, WHAT I WAS HEARING.
UH, AND THAT IS OCCURRING BECAUSE OF COLLABORATION.
YOU CAN'T STAY IN YOUR OWN BOX ANYMORE.
AND WHAT TM C3 REALLY IS ALL ABOUT IS EVERYBODY GETTING OUT OF THEIR BOX AND, AND GETTING, UH, INTO RESEARCH TOGETHER, AND THAT'S WHAT'S GONNA MAKE IT WORK.
UH, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM MEDIA? I KNOW WE'RE TIGHT ON TIME FOR BOTH THE, THE GOVERNOR, THE MAYOR, AND, AND OUR LEADERS HERE.
ANY OTHER, UH, FINAL QUESTIONS FROM THE MEDIA? WELL, AGAIN, I WANNA EXTEND MY, MY DEEP GRATITUDE TO GOVERNOR ABBOTT AND MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER.
YOU, YOU BOTH WERE THE CORNERSTONE OF THIS BUILDING, MAKING IT HAPPEN.
AND AS, UH, CHANCELLOR SHARP SAID, IT WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED HAD BOTH OF YOU NOT STEPPED IN.
IT REALLY IS, IT FORCES US OUT OF OUR COMFORT ZONES, ALLOWS US TO THINK DIFFERENTLY.
IT'S EXCITING ON ONE END, BUT IT REALLY FORCES PEOPLE THAT ARE REALLY KIND OF INDIVIDUALLY, INSTITUTIONALLY FOCUSED TO MOVE OUT OF THEIR, OUT OF THEIR LANES.
AND IT REALLY TAKES LEADERSHIP AT THE TOP TO REALLY MAKE THOSE THINGS HAPPEN.
SO WE ARE FOREVER INDEBTED TO YOU.
THIS BUILDING WILL ALWAYS BE A REFLECTION OF THAT LEADERSHIP, AND AS I SAID, IT'S THE CORNERSTONE.
SO WE HOPE TO HAVE YOU HERE QUITE A BIT AS WE ANNOUNCE 2 3, 4 OR FIVE MORE BUILDINGS HERE, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY THE RESEARCH AND SOME OF THE HUGE GRANTS THAT WILL COME OUR WAY AS A RESULT OF YOUR EFFORTS.
SO HOW ABOUT A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR THIS GREAT LEADERSHIP? THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING AGAIN, A PLUG FOR LATER.
WE'RE DOING STATE OF THE TMC RIGHT HERE, PROBABLY WITH THREE TIMES AS MANY PEOPLE.
IT'S GONNA BE A GREAT COCKTAIL PARTY STARTING AT FOUR, SO DON'T MISS IT.
UH, AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO TOUR.
ALSO, REMEMBER THE PLEASE TOUR THE PARKS HERE AND IF YOU GO ACROSS TO DYNAMIC ONE UP TO THE SEVENTH FLOOR, UH, YOU CAN VISIT THAT OR YOU COULD WAIT TILL LATER IF YOU'RE COMING BACK AT FOUR O'CLOCK AND DO IT ALL AT ONE TIME.
SO AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING.
THANK YOU MEDIA FOR ALL THAT YOU DO.
UM, AND UH, THIS CONCLUDES OUR EVENT.