Lumberton - The North Carolina Community College System BioNetwork BioAg Center has opened officially. Staffed with a top team and based at Robeson Community College, the BioNetwork BioAg Center will play a key role in assisting community colleges statewide develop and enhance agricultural biotechnology programs.

North Carolina is already ranked second in the US in agricultural biotechnology and this center will develop this economic capacity for North Carolina further. Speaking at the grand opening of the center, Robeson Community College President Dr. Charles Chrestman said, “the BioAg Center is one of those strategic pieces that will play an important role in tapping into North Carolina’s rich agricultural heritage and helping it to take advantage of 21st Century technologies. The BioAg Center and Robeson Community College are proud to be part of BioNetwork as it is being held up nationally as an example of excellence.”

Dr. Leslie Alexandre, the President and CEO of the NC Biotechnology Center, outlined the role that agricultural biotechnology could play in North Carolina. “We are a state of natural resources,” she said. “One day, row crops won’t just feed people, but through biotechnology they will produce medicines. It is entirely appropriate that the BioAg Center at this college will lead the charge in helping to train people for this knowledge-based industry.”

Golden LEAF provided startup funding for NCCCS BioNetwork. During his address, Golden LEAF Senior Vice President Mark Sorrells said that Golden LEAF had decided to fund BioNetwork because the initiative was strategic for North Carolina. He said the BioAg Center is an important part of NCCCS BioNetwork. “If you think about the agricultural and biotech opportunities in this part of the state - Eastern North Carolina could become the Saudi Arabia of biomass in the United States.”

North Carolina Community College System President, Martin Lancaster, sounded a cautionary note. “The BioNetwork initiative, because of its importance to North Carolina, needs the support of the legislature and Congress. There is no money set aside for BioNetwork - not a penny. It should not be allowed to die in its infancy once Golden LEAF funding ends later this year.”

President Lancaster went on to point out how BioNetwork - and the role that the BioAg Center is playing - acts as an economic development catalyst. “Bioagriculture has the potential to raise economic standards for the many people in rural areas, as farmers adopt new farming practices using new technologies and helping these regions transition to the knowledge-based industries of the 21st Century.” He said that without legislative support for continued funding, the world-class team assembled by the Community College BioNetwork would not have the opportunity to achieve goals such as these.

Congressman Mike McIntyre and Senator David Weinstein both spoke at the opening and endorsed the center and the role it will play in developing business.

BioAg Center Manager JD Brooks, who has 26 years of international experience and leadership in the agrochemical, animal health and biotech industries outlined the economic potential for North Carolina. “ If you couple biotech with this state’s massive agricultural industry, the opportunities for growth and job creation are enormous.” He said that the BioAg Center’s plan was to build a bridge between education and the agricultural industry. “We will partner with state, federal and local organizations and agencies to create good-paying jobs in North Carolina in biotechnology.”

According to a study by the NC Biotechnology Center, the biotech industry creates about three thousand jobs a year. Two thirds of these are trained at the community college level. The NCCCS BioNetwork BioAg Center is one of six centers across the state that each focuses on a particular aspect of biotechnology. BioNetwork has assembled a world-class team to staff its centers. The BioNetwork centers are developing expertise and curricula to keep programs and faculty abreast of the cutting-edge technologies used in this rapidly changing industry. By sharing with community colleges statewide and through train-the-trainer sessions, faculty can be kept current with industry trends and workforce development needs.

More information about the state-wide community college biotechnology initiative can be found at the BioNetwork website - www.ncbionetwork.org

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