Business Facilities - March 2008 - (Page B4)

ducting research in critical areas of biotechnology. • The BioNetwork, the community college system’s network of campusbased education and training programs located throughout the state. The reach of these programs is particularly important because North Carolina’s biotechnology industry is no longer concentrated solely in the Research Triangle Park area. Research Triangle Park set the standard for research parks when it opened in the 1950s. It remains a world leader, home to well-known names such as GlaxoSmithKline, Bayer, and Biogen Idec. But today, North Carolina’s 54,000 life sciences workers are finding employment throughout the state. Some examples: • The former mill town of Kannapolis, NC (near Charlotte, NC) has staked its future on a $1 billion biotechnology research campus backed by Dole Foods Co. owner David Murdock in partnership with Duke University and the University of North Carolina. The campus will focus on agriculture, nutrition, and health research. • From bioagricultural companies involved in pest control to innovative nanotechnology advancements, biotechnology and life sciences companies in the Piedmont Triad region generate more than $4 billion in revenue annually. • The N.C. Biotechnology Center, the first state-sponsored biotech center when it opened in Research Triangle Park in the 1980s, now has regional offices in Greenville and Wilmington to the east, WinstonSalem in the state’s central region, Charlotte to the south, and Asheville in the western mountains. Both the new training initiatives and regional offices resulted from a strategic plan entitled New Jobs Across North Carolina. Recognizing that vision and risk-taking must shape smart and practical decisions, B-4 Coldstream Center at the Coldstream Research Campus in Lexington, KY Governor Mike Easley, in 2003, charged a committee of 120 experts to develop a long-term strategic plan to help guide future state investments in biotechnology. The group, led by former governors Jim Hunt and Jim Martin, identified 54 recommendations for building the industry statewide—with the goal of employing 125,000 North Carolinians in biotechnology-related jobs by 2023. “My advice to you is to be aggressive and be bold,” Gov. Easley told the steering committee when it began its work. “Let’s just keep going forward.” North Carolina’s biotechnology industry continues to do just that. Central Kentucky’s Leader in Biotechnology Biotechnology is one of the fastest growing industries in the United States, and Lexington, KY is committed to fueling the growth of this industry in the area. With many such companies in Central Kentucky—the majority of those in Lexington—these research-intensive companies have a tremendous impact on the economy. Calling Central Kentucky home are Alltech Biotechnology, Martek Biosciences Corporation, Intranasal Therapeutics, and a host of others. Commerce Lexington Inc. and the Greater Lexington Chamber of Commerce partner with the University of Kentucky (UK) and the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development’s Department of Commercialization and Innovation (DCI) to grow, recruit, and retain biotechnology companies. Under the leadership of Dr. Lee T. Todd, president of UK, a goal was set to become a top 20 research university. Providing a supportive environment for professors and researchers to start companies is a key mechanism by which to attain this goal. To further the progress of assisting entrepreneurs, Commerce Lexington, UK, and Lexington Fayette Urban County Government formed the Bluegrass Business Development Partnership (BBDP). The BBDP’s goal is to be a one-stop, super-service provider, linking entrepreneurs with the information they need to be successful, including assistance in financial planning, business plans, funding sources, real estate, and service providers. The BBDP also designed a new Web site to assist entrepreneurs, www.thinkbluegrass.com. A S P E C I A L A D V E RT I S I N G S E C T I O N O F B U S I N E S S FA C I L I T I E S , B I O P H A R M , A N D P H A R M A C E U T I C A L E X E C U T I V E PHOTO CREDIT: UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY http://www.thinkbluegrass.com

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Business Facilities - March 2008 Contents First Word Snapshots California Seeks Immigration Reform To Spur Economic Growth Outside the Biotechnology Clusters Global Biotech Competition Heats Up Location Is Key To Your Bottom Line New Incentives For New Hampshire Metro Spotlight: Jersey City, NJ Europe's Center For Goods, Real and Virtual Access Your Markets From Pennsylvania Corporate Moves: Illinois Louisiana Upgrades Important Port Road Projects To Accelerate Michigan's Economy Corporate Moves: South Carolina Metro Spotlight: Salt Lake City, UT Advertiser Index Inside LiveXchange

Business Facilities - March 2008

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