Biomanufacturing, the making of biological products from living cells, is a large and growing industry in North Carolina.
At least 16 companies have biomanufacturing plants in the state, producing a wide range of products including enzymes, vaccines, drugs, amino acids, high fructose corn syrup and vitamins.
Strong Employment
About 50 companies are engaged in the more traditional manufacture of pharmaceuticals and medical devices. They employ about 25,000 North Carolinians in high-paying jobs.
Among the biomanufacturing companies are:
- Biogen Idec, a manufacturer of recombinant drugs for the treatment of multiple sclerosis and psoriasis.
- Embrex, a maker of vaccines for the poultry industry.
- Novozymes, a producer of industrial enzymes for use in detergents, baking and food processing.
- Talecris Biotherapeutics, a maker of protein therapies derived from blood.
- Wyeth Vaccines, a manufacturer of pediatric vaccines.
- Biolex, KBI BioPharma and Diosynth Biotechnology, contract biomanufacturers of recombinant drugs for biopharmaceutical clients.
How does North Carolina attract so many diverse biomanufacturers? By providing the right infrastructure required to design, build, equip and operate these plants efficiently and at a reasonable cost.
Having a highly skilled workforce is paramount. That’s why North Carolina is investing heavily in workforce training through NCBioImpact, a public-private partnership that aims to prepare up to 3,000 workers per year. The Community College System also offers a BioWork Course for entry-level bioprocess technicians.
Employment Growth
Biomanufacturing employment in North Carolina has grown about 10 percent a year since 1990, and the jobs pay substantially more than traditional manufacturing jobs in other industries. The average salary for pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing workers in North Carolina was $72,962 in 2004, according to the North Carolina Employment Security Commission.
Continued job growth is expected as the biotechnology industry matures and more products move from company labs to the marketplace, requiring more biomanufacturing capacity.
To seize this growth opportunity, North Carolina is aggressively promoting the retention, expansion and attraction of biomanufacturing plants. In fact, this is one of the top three priorities of New Jobs Across North Carolina: A Strategic plan for Growing the Economy Statewide through Biotechnology.
Biomanufacturing Reports
Biopharmaceutical Industry Contributions to State and U.S. Economies. October 2004. With a multiplier effect factored in, the new biopharmaceutical jobs created by 2004 will total 160,540.
To assess the industry's changing workforce training needs, the Biotechnology Center surveyed companies in 2002 and published the Window on the Workplace 2003 report.
The plan offers 54 strategies to help fortify areas including work force training and K-12 education to ultimately help position North Carolina to gain from biotechnology's economic and social benefits.
Contact
- For a closer look at biomanufacturing, contact Ken Tindall, senior vice president for Science and Business Development.
- For work force training information, contact Kathleen Kennedy, vice president of Education and Training.