HOUGHTON – The purpose of the MTEC SmartZone is to provide space and expertise for start-up businesses to grow and hopefully get established locally, and one of the newer business concepts to get the attention of the SmartZone is life sciences.

Life science businesses manufacture products and provide services related to life sciences – a branch of science such as biology, medicine or anthropology that deals with living organisms and life processes.

Marilyn Clark, CEO at the Michigan Tech Enterprise Corporation (MTEC) SmartZone, said when the Michigan Legislature created the SmartZone program in 2001, it emphasized four technological fields, including life sciences.

Clark said Michigan Technological University has recently created biomedical engineering and kinesiology programs, which could spur the development of life sciences companies in the area.

The SmartZone recently became involved with two start-up life sciences companies, Clark said. One of them is working on developing ways to treat antibiotic-resistant infections in wounds. Another is working on a new way to type blood. A third company, which has created ways to test for E. coli in food moved to Ann Arbor.

Clark said the SmartZone provides support to the blood-typing and wound-care companies, but they’re located at Tech and have no sales yet.

“They’re still in research,” she said. “They’re virtual clients of ours.”

The two life sciences companies are working at Tech because none of the SmartZone locations have the kind of facilities they need to do their work, Clark said. If there is a growth in the number of life sciences start-up companies in the area, the facilities needed for those companies could be added to the SmartZone.

“If we have enough interest, we will look into that,” she said.

The SmartZone is involved with creating a regional cluster of health care organizations interested in establishing the Houghton and Marquette areas as a center for life sciences companies, Clark said. They include Tech, Northern Michigan University, UP Health Systems-Portage and Marquette, Pioneer Surgical, and Duke University.

“The more they know the skills the others have, the more they can collaborate,” she said.

Clark said it’s hoped the Houghton and Marquette areas can become centers for life sciences companies, but that’s a ways off, yet.

“It’s in its infancy,” she said. “We will see companies pop out in the next two or three years.”

However, Clark said it will be at least 10 years before the area can become a significant supporter of life sciences companies.