Biotech Boost in NC

For Release: IMMEDIATE	Contact: Norman Smit
Date: June 14 , 2004	(919) 807-7155

Biotech boost in Western North Carolina

Asheville: Two biotechnology centers will put the Asheville-Buncombe Community College firmly on the North Carolina life-sciences map. Both centers will be based on AB Tech’s Enka Campus. The North Carolina Biotechnology Center formally opened it’s Western NC regional office on the campus today. The Enka Campus will also host one of six NC Community College System’s BioNetwork Centers.

NC Community College President Lancaster congratulated AB Tech on winning the competitive bidding process to host the BioBiz Center, which is funded by a $320,000 Golden LEAF grant. President Lancaster said "community colleges have from their inception been able to accomplish many things through partnerships." He pointed out that AB Tech’s Enka Campus was a symbol of partnerships between the college, universities, business and industry, and the Biotech Center. "I am convinced that this will be the catalyst for significant biotech development in Western North Carolina", he said.

On June 3^rd, 2004, the Golden LEAF Board formally approved 29 grants totaling about $4.3 million for the NCCCS BioNetwork – including the one for the BioBiz Center at AB Tech.

The BioBiz Center will play a statewide role in growing and supporting development of the biotech industry in North Carolina. Each of the BioNetwork centers will play a leading role in a specific area of responsibility. The Centers will act as hubs for community colleges across the state by providing them with cutting-edge information, curricula, techniques and expertise. The BioNetwork Biobiz center – which is more formally known as the Biotechnology Incubation and Training Center – will assist small biotechnology enterprises through incubation and support services, and develop entrepreneurial skills. It will also develop an accelerated course in the special business and production conditions required to work with biotechnology companies. The Center will also develop BioOps – a program that will acquaint non-technical personnel, suppliers, service providers and faculty with a better understanding of the industry.

The other BioNetwork Centers that are coming on stream across the state are:

A dedicated aseptic suite for the community college system at the BioNetwork Capstone Center, which will be based at NC State’s Biomanufacturing Training & Education Center (BTEC) at Centennial Campus.

The BioProcessing Center at Pitt Community College

The Pharmaceutical Center, which Forsyth Technical Community College and Guilford Technical Community College are joint managing.

BioAg Center, which will be at Robeson Community College.

The BioEd Center, which will be at Gaston College.

Networking community colleges makes BioNetwork a cost-effective, efficient way of developing biotech workforce training throughout North Carolina. These centers will act as hubs for the entire NCCCS, monitoring industry trends and benchmark practices, taking the lead in developing new courses or enhancing existing curricula, and marketing the programs to students and employers in collaboration with the Central BioNetwork Office.

The BioBiz Center will have a full-time staff of three.

For further information, contact:

Susan Seymour	Norman Smit	For information about the NC Biotechnology Center
NCCCS BioNetwork Director	NCCCS BioNetwork Marketing Director	Contact: Barry Teater
(919) 807-7155	smitn@nccommunitycolleges.edu	(919) 541-9366
		www.ncbiotech.org

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