North Carolina's colleges and universities are the bedrock of the state's growing biotechnology community and are vital to the state's competitive advantage. They conduct cutting-edge research, prepare a highly trained and educated work force, and provide a diversity of educational opportunities.
A number of undergraduate and advanced scientific degree programs are available at North Carolina universities. The Biotechnology Center has helped recruit 52 world-class faculty to strengthen those programs.
Products being manufactured today are often the fruit of university research. The Biotechnology Center partners with university technology transfer offices and scientists to bring ideas from the laboratory to the marketplace.
The state's community colleges provide two-year degrees, certificate programs and retraining opportunities in close proximity to all 100 counties in North Carolina. The community colleges also offer the BioWork program, designed to train workers specifically for biomanufacturing jobs.