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Council approves $250,000 economic subsidy agreement with Bios for precision‑medicine initiative
Summary
After a public hearing, the council approved an economic subsidy to Bios to support a precision‑medicine hub in Bakersfield and partnerships with Cal State Bakersfield and Dignity Health. The agreement follows an earlier 2024 subsidy and is intended to help the company bring clinical-trial capability and workforce training to Kern County.
The Bakersfield City Council on May 28 approved an economic subsidy agreement not to exceed $250,000 with Bios, a company that develops data-driven tools for precision medicines, after a public hearing and presentation from company leadership and local partners.
Bios CEO Emil Hewich described the company’s plan to build a “precision medicine initiative” that would partner with California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB) and Dignity Health to create a regional capability for clinical trials and workforce development. Hewich said Bios has located a small office in Bakersfield and is already supplying in‑kind equipment and staff time for the effort.
“Every person pretty much that I went to high school with went into oil and gas in Aberdeen,” Hewich said, describing his motivation to bring high‑skill jobs to a community like Bakersfield. He said the company has committed about $1.5 million in in‑kind equipment and is focused on delivering at least one clinical trial on a commercial scale in the region.
CSUB Chief of Staff Kristen Watson told the council the university views the project as a way to build both traded‑sector economic activity and a local workforce pipeline for nurses, data analysts and clinical‑trial staff. Cornerstone Engineering principal Kent Halley and other local investors also spoke in support.
Why it matters: the council action is intended to seed a commercial capability that city staff and company representatives said could attract clinical-trial investment and create higher-skilled jobs in Bakersfield. Staff cited Government Code section 53083 in public-notice materials because the agreement is an economic-development subsidy.
The motion to approve was made by Council member Gonzales and passed; the clerk recorded the motion as approved with Council member Arias absent.
What the agreement funds and next steps: the staff memorandum states the award is an economic subsidy not to exceed $250,000 to support implementation of Bios’ precision‑medicine initiative in Bakersfield. The company reported it has one local hire (identified in the meeting as Javier Sogard), an office hosted at Cornerstone Engineering, and letters of partnership from Dignity Health and CSUB. Staff said the subsidy follows an earlier city agreement in 2024 that helped Bios establish local partnerships.
The company and university will continue to work with staff on space, an MOU and steps to prepare the local workforce and clinical partners for trial activity. City staff said the subsidy is intended to help the region reach the scale necessary to compete for research and trial work.
Vote: motion carried (approved with Council member Arias absent).
