Building A Bio Work Force

Research Triangle Park, North Carolina's nexus of pharmaceutical and biotech investment, added to its dominance in this sector with the recent expansion of Eisai, a Teaneck, N.J.-based pharmaceutical firm. Eisai expanded its manufacturing and R&D site with a new 80,000-sq.-ft. (7,432-sq.-m.) building that nearly doubles the size of the company's original RTP facility. Eisai says the expansion will create 50 to 75 new jobs over the next year.

Already a tier-one biotechnology state, North Carolina has taken another step forward with the commitment of $64.5 million to train biomanufacturing workers. The Golden LEAF Foundation, which provides grants for economic development activities from the state's tobacco settlement with cigarette manufacturers, committed up to $60 million, while the North Carolina Biosciences Organization (NCBIO) has pledged up to $4.5 million in in-kind contributions of equipment and other resources. The North Carolina Biotechnology Center surveyed biomanufacturing companies throughout the state to determine future training and employment needs.

Leslie Alexandre, president and CEO of the Biotechnology Center

        "This initiative was tailored to meet those industry needs," says Leslie Alexandre, president and CEO of the North Carolina Biotechnology Center. "We're determined that North Carolina will have the world's best-trained work force for biomanufacturing."
        North Carolina State University will receive the biggest share -- $36 million -- to build and equip a central biomanufacturing facility to train workers. North Carolina Central University in Durham will receive $19.1 million to establish graduate and undergraduate degree programs in applied process research. The North Carolina Community College System will get $9.4 million to recruit and train workers and to serve as a feeder system to the NCSU and NCCU programs.